In this study, the effects of different chemical additives including dispersant and stabilizer on the solid loading, viscosity, rheological behaviour and static stability of coal water mixtures have been investigated. in the experiments, naphthalene sulfonate formaldehyde condensate (NSF) was selected as dispersant and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium salt (CMC-Na) and nano-stabilizer were employed as stabilizers. An Indonesian low-rank coal, taken from Berau, East Kalimantan, was used for the study. To obtain high-loaded slurry, Liaohe petroleum coke was used to blend with Indonesian coal sample. The results of the experiments showed that adding chemical additives and blending Liaohe petroleum coke can effectively improve the slurryability of Indonesian low-rank coal. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.