Coalbed methane

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Coalbed methane is natural gas (which is composed primarily of methane) that is formed in coal deposits or coal seams. Coalbed methane can be used in the same manner as natural gas.^[1][2][3]

Background

Methane (CH₄) is a colorless, odorless, and flammable gas that is the predominant component of natural gas. Coalbed methane is generated during the coalification process in which plant materials become coal. Coalbed methane can be extracted before, during, or after coal mining operations. Operators drill wells into coal deposits and remove the water within the deposits. The removal of water results in reduced pressure. The reduced pressure frees the natural gas from inside the coal, and methane naturally migrates from areas of low pressure to high pressure. After the methane is captured, it is then delivered to a storage facility through a pipeline.^[1][4][5][6]

Production

Coalbed methane production

The table below shows total coalbed methane production in the United States from 2007 to 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. During this period, the largest total production occurred in 2008 with 1.966 billion cubic feet (BCF) of coalbed methane. Production was at its lowest in 2015 with the production of 1.269 BCF.^[7]

Coalbed methane was produced in 13 states in 2015. Three states accounted for approximately 75 percent of U.S. coalbed methane production in the United States: Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. The table below shows domestic coalbed methane production from 2008 to 2015 according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.^[1][8]

See also

Footnotes

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