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