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The exploration
and development of coal bed methane in the United States is a growing
concern. Last year, methane produced from coal seams amounted to
approximately 7.5 percent of the overall natural gas production
in the country. The development of this resource has created the
need for public education, technology transfer, and the creation
of methods to allow growth while minimizing impacts to the environment.
Below are various documents, resources and links for project planning.
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Best Management
Practices (BMPs) and mitigation strategies are of particular
interest as they may afford the tools to facilitate development
of natural gas production from underground coal seams in an
environmentally responsible manner. The combination of heightened
awareness of environmental issues related to present-day development/production
practices, including water production, hydraulic treatments,
pipeline construction, storage and compression facilities,
water impoundments and disposal practices, both shallow and
deep injection practices, and sensitive soils only increase
the need for planning. These issues have placed increased
pressure on state and federal agencies, industry, landowners,
and the general public with respect to development methodologies.
Increased awareness of best management practices, mitigation
strategies and planning can enhance resource development opportunities.
The Montana
Board of Oil and Gas Conservation and ALL Consulting prepared
for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Petroleum Technology
Office, and the National Energy Technology Laboratory a handbook
on Best Management Practices and Mitigation Strategies for
Coal Bed Methane in the Montana Portion of the Powder River
Basin.
Click to View or Download the BMP Handbook.
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Statewide
Final Draft Oil and Gas Environmental Impact Statement and
Amendment of the Powder River and Billings Resource Management
Plan.
Click Below
to Download the EIS as a Zipped PDF file:
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Coal bed
methane production requires the removal of groundwater from
the coal beds to release adsorbed methane. The produced water
is considered a byproduct or waste product of coal bed methane
production. In the Powder River Basin, produced water is discharged
at the ground surface along existing drainages, sent to various
types of impoundments, used for stock water and irrigation,
used for industrial uses (e.g., at coal mines), used for dust
control, discharged via pipelines to watersheds such as the
Powder or Tongue Rivers, and to some extent used for domestic
purposes.
The Department
of Energy, Ground Water Protection Research Foundation, and
the Bureau of Land Management are conducting a research project
to study the feasibility of beneficial uses for coal bed methane
produced water.
Click
here to learn more about the project or
Click
here to submit a Beneficial Use Idea.
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REGULATORY
ISSUES AFFECTING MANAGEMENT OF PRODUCED WATER FROM COAL
BED METHANE WELLS
View the paper prepared by John A. Veil of the Argonne
National Laboratory |
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Coal
Bed Methane Information Tracking
View Dan Arthur's presentation from the GWPC's annual
UIC meeting in Houston in January, 2002. |
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Introduction
to Coal Bed Methane
View Bruce Langhus' presentation from the GWPC's annual
UIC meeting in Houston in January, 2002. |
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CBM
Best Management Practices Update
Presented at the International Petroleum Environmental
Consortium November 2001 – Houston, Texas by Dan
Arthur |
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CBM
in the Powder River Basin of Montana
Read the CBM Technical Paper prepared by ALL Consulting
and the Montana Board of Oil and Gas and presented at
the Ground Water Protection Council's Annual Forum from
September 22-26 in Reno, NV. |
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| "Let's
Talk Technical, Montana's CBM EIS Status" View
Dan Arthur's Presentation from the August 29th Montana
Petroleum Association's Annual Meeting. |
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 Montana
Department of Environmental Quality: Coal Bed Methane Page
EPA
Coal Bed Methane Outreach Program
USGS
Coal Bed Methane Studies
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Disclaimer
Restriction
of Liability: Neither ALL Consulting, the Montana Board of Oil & Gas
Conservation, or the State of Montana, nor any of their employees make
any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or
responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any information
or data provided in this project. The data included in this project could
include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. ALL Consulting,
the Montana Board of Oil & Gas Conservation, or any another associated
affiliate may update, modify, or revise the data in this project at any
time, without notice. Please note that decisions should not be made solely
on the use of this data; field confirmation is highly recommended.
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