Coalbed Methane Production and Reclamation Field Tour

Author: John Wheaton, Montana Tech of the University of Montana, Butte, MT.

Venue: The tour will be conducted starting in Gillette, WY, and extend along the northern Powder River Basin, on June 3, 2007, under the auspices of the American Society for Mining and Reclamation (http://ces.ca.uky.edu/asmr/ [external site]).

Abstract: This field tour will emphasize successful reclamation in an alternative type of coal industry in the Powder River Basin: coalbed methane. The tour will leave Gillette, WY, at 7:30 a.m., Sunday, June 3, 2007, and travel to Sheridan, WY, and back, touring coalbed methane production areas. Stops will include active drilling and producing areas to learn about the footprint and approach to development of coalbed methane. Reclamation includes drilling pads and linear trenching for water and gas pipelines. Produced-water management is a major expense and concern. Among the water management options we plan to see are stock-watering facilities, infiltration ponds, irrigation sites, and water treatment facilities. A landowner will join us and be able to answer questions from the ranching perspective for part of the tour. Lunches are included in the price of the tour.

Related NETL Project: The primary goal of the related NETL project DE-FC26-05NT15549, entitled “Produced Water Management and Beneficial Use,” is to develop a portfolio of technologies to address the oil and gas industry’s produced-water issues in a comprehensive manner through a variety of tasks. Specifically, this presentation relates to the project’s Tasks 6 and 5.

NETL Project Contacts
NETL - Jesse Garcia (jesse.garcia@netl.doe.gov or 918-699-2036)
CSM - Dag Nummedal (nummedal@mines.edu or 303-384-2506)