Coal-bed methane
Coal Bed Methane
• Natural gas found in most coal deposits
• Similar to natural gas
• Created from buried plant material which was
converted to coal by the pressure of being
underground
• When the coal seam is drilled and the water is
pumped out, the gas begins to flow
• Usually pure or ‘sweet’ gas and requires little
processing
Problems
• Adds Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere
• Contaminates drinking water supplies such as
aquifers
• the industry’s biggest problem is managing the
volume of water, often with a high sodium
content, that must be extracted before coal-bed
gas begins to flow
• Can remove water by truck and re-inject into
spent gas wells but must be kept isolated from
potential ground water zones