News & Recent Publications
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Outside Publication: Fuel
Coal seam degasification improves coal mine safety by reducing the gas content of coal seams and also by generating added value as an energy source. Coal seam reservoir simulation is one of the most effective ways to help with these two main objectives. As in all modeling and simulation studies, how the reservoir is defined and whether observed productions can be predicted are important considerations...
Wednesday, January 07, 2015
USGS Publication: Open-File Report 2014-1207
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has compiled a database consisting of three worksheets of central Appalachian basin natural gas analyses and isotopic compositions from published and unpublished sources of 1,282 gas samples from Kentucky, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia...
Friday, December 19, 2014
USGS Publication: Digital Data Series 69-II
This report presents a digital map of coalbed-gas resource assessments in the United States as part of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Assessment of Oil and Gas Project. Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the USGS quantitatively estimated potential volumes of undiscovered, technically recoverable natural gas resources within coalbed-gas assessment units (AUs).
Friday, July 25, 2014
Outside Publication: Journal of Applied Geophysics
Prediction of potential methane emission pathways from various sources into active mine workings or sealed gobs from longwall overburden is important for controlling methane and for improving mining safety. The aim of this paper is to infer strata separation intervals and thus gas emission pathways from standard well log data. The proposed technique was applied to well logs acquired through the Mary Lee/Blue Creek coal seam of the Upper Pottsville Formation in the Black Warrior Basin, Alabama, using well logs from a series of boreholes aligned along...
Friday, May 23, 2014
Outside Publication: International Journal of Coal Geology
Organic substances in produced and formation water from coalbed methane (CBM) and gas shale plays from across the USA were examined in this study. Results from five CBM plays and two gas shale plays (including the Marcellus Shale) show a myriad of organic chemicals present in the produced and formation water. Organic compound...
Friday, March 28, 2014
2007–2010, in Wainwright, Alaska
USGS Publication: Open-File Report 2014–1004
The U.S. Geological Survey, in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the North Slope Borough, and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation conducted a four-year study designed to identify, define, and delineate a shallow coalbed natural gas (CBNG) resource with the potential to provide locally produced, affordable power to the community of Wainwright, Alaska.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Outside Publication: Organic Geochemistry
The gas released from coals under hydrous pyrolysis conditions represents a quantifiable mixture of ancient (270 Ma) methane (likely microbial) that was generated in situ and trapped within the rock during the rapid heating by the dike, and modern (laboratory) thermogenic methane that was generated from the indigenous organic matter due to thermal maturation induced by hydrous pyrolysis conditions. These findings provide...
Friday, May 31, 2013
Natural gas is an important component of the energy mix in the U.S, producing greater energy yield per unit weight and less pollution compared to coal and oil. Most of the world's natural gas resource is thermogenic, produced in the geologic environment over time by high temperature and pressure within deposits of oil, coal, and shale. About 20 percent of the natural gas resource, however, is produced by microorganisms (microbes). Microbes potentially could be used to generate economic quantities...
Friday, May 24, 2013
USGS Publication: NOGA Map Updates
The main objective of the National Assessment of Oil and Gas Project is to assess the potential for undiscovered oil and natural gas resources of the onshore United States. These maps include the latest updates to the basin assessments.
Photo: Coalbed exposed in outcrops of the
Sagavanirktok Formation along the
Shaviovik River in the east-central part of
the North Slope, Alaska.
Methane and other gases, while frequently produced with petroleum, also occur in association with coal. Coalbed gas accounts for about eight percent of U.S. natural gas production. U.S. estimates (Rice, 1997) indicate more than 700 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of coalbed gas in place, with over 100 TCF economically recoverable--a five-year supply at present rates of consumption.
The USGS Energy Resources Program assesses potential U.S. coalbed gas resources including controls on the occurrence and recoverability, (including produced water) and geologic, geochemical, engineering, and technological factors.
The USGS Energy Resources Team examines environmental considerations with coalbed natural gas development (CBNG) nationwide. A major portion of this is on water co-produced with CBNG, which is provided in the Energy Program’s "Produced Waters" topic.
U.S. Assessments of
Undiscovered CBM Natural Gas
U.S. Assessments of Undiscovered Coalbed Methane Natural Gas
Several Energy Resources Program coalbed methane assessments for the United States are currently available.
International CBM Research
International CBM Research
The USGS Energy Resources Program is also focused on international cbm assessments and issues. Here are a few specific areas that may be of interest... [+]
Coal Quality and Resources of the Former Soviet Union--An Arc View Project
By Brownfield, M.E., Steinshouer, D.W., Povarennykh, M.Y., Eriomin, I., Shpirt, M., Meitov, Yevgeny, Sharova, I., Goriunova, N., and Zyrianova, M.V.
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-104, 94 p. [CD-ROM]
The Republic of the Philippines Coalbed Methane Assessment: Based on Seventeen High Pressure Methane Adsorption Isotherms
By Flores, R.M., Stricker, G.D., Papasin, R.F., Pendon, R.R., del Rosario, R.A., Malapitan, R.T., Pastor, M.S., Altomea, E.A., Cuaresma, F., Malapitan, A.S., and Mortos, B.R.
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1063, 17 p
Coal Geology, Land Use, and Human Health in the People's Republic of China
By Karlsen, A.W., Schultz, A.C., Warwick, P.D., Podwysocki, S.M., and Lovern, V.S.
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-318, version 1.0, on line version only
The global methane hydrate reservoir; impact on petroleum exploration [abs.]
By Kvenvolden, K.A., and Collett, T.S.
U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1060, p. 44-46
Coalbed Gas in Hungary--A Preliminary Report
By Landis, E.R., Rohrbacher, T. J., Barker, C.E., Fodor, B., and Gombar, G.
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01-473, version 1.0, 28 p. [CD-ROM]
Coal-bearing regions and structural sedimentary basins of China and adjacent seas
By Podwysocki, S.M., and Lovern, V.S., compilers
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-047
A primer on the occurrence of coalbed methane in low-rank coals, with special reference to its potential occurrence in Pakistan
By SanFilipo, J.R.
U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 00-293, 13 p
The U.S. Geological Survey Energy Resources Program has developed coal databases to monitor the location, quantity, and physical and chemical characteristics of U.S. coal and coal-related deposits.
Page Last Modified: Wednesday, December 03, 2014
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