"coke burner and coal merchant"

[Claire64]

I've come across a man called Helliwell (1860s) who was a "coke burner and coal merchant"; one or both occupations listed on various documents.  There was a big steel works in the valley, so he could have worked there as coke burner, or there was a coal pit nearer, so would they perhaps have burnt coke there?  And why would he also be a coal merchant?  In 1860 a newspaper report mentions his "banksman", who would have been working on the pit.  I've seen a few reports that refer to "Helliwell's pit", but it was a common name round here and I'm not convinced this was him.
Any ideas folks?  he also ran a beerhouse at this time.  I'm beginning to think he cloned himself!

[PaulineJ]

You heat coking coal in an oxygen-free environment to make coke (and gas for street/domestic lighting)

[Rena]

To give you a visual idea of your ancestor's occupation.

Below is a link to a Wikipedia webpage, on which you'll find a picture of a coke making oven and if you scroll down, there's a section which describes how to make coke from coal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beehive_oven