Coalbed Methane

One of the most recent events in the Wyoming energy scene has been the explosive growth of the coalbed methane industry. In 1992, there were only 52 wells producing natural gas from coal beds, in 2000 there were 4,800 and increasing steadily. Coalbed methane is natural gas (CH₄) produced during the decay of the coal (biogenic gas) and during the coalification due to high temperatures acting upon the deeply buried peat (thermogenic gas). Both forms of gas are trapped in the coal and removed before mining. The gas in the coal of the strip mines has already leaked out. Coalbed methane comes from wells drilled at least 200 feet down to beds where the gas is still present.

All coals contain biogenic gasses, but only the higher rank of coal (Bituminous) contain thermogenic gas. This is due to the fact that the coal must be heated to over 2500º F during coalification. Most of Wyoming coalbed methane is biogenic as our coal is subbiturninous.

In 2000, the monthly production was 14 billion cubic feet and climbing. This was 10% of Wyoming's natural gas production.

Wyoming has over fifty thousand of square miles of deep coal and the deeper the coal bed the greater the gas content:

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