Optimization, Scale-Up, and Design of Coal-Dependent Methanogenesis in Preparation for In Situ Field Demonstration (Final Report)

Technical Report · Fri Mar 29 00:00:00 EDT 2019

OSTI ID:1504223

Fields, Matthew ^[1]; Spangler, Lee ^[2]; Blank, Jeannette ^[2]; Cunningham, Al ^[2]; Dobeck, Laura ^[2]; Phillips, Adrienne ^[2]; Gerlach, Robin ^[2]; Barnhart, Elliott ^[3]; Orem, Bill ^[4]; Ruppurt, Jingle ^[3]; Clark, Art ^[5]; Clark, Greg ^[4]; Hundt, Steven ^[3]; Weeks, Ed ^[3]; Hiebert, Randy ^[6]; Park, Brian ^[6]; McCloskey, Jay ^[6]; Hyatt, Robert ^[6]

---

1. Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States). Energy Research Inst.
2. Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)
3. U.S. Geological Survey, Helena, MT (United States)
4. U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO (United States)
5. U.S. Geological Survey (United States)
6. Montana Emergent Technologies, Butte, MT (United States)

Coal deposits are a widespread energy resource on Earth, and the associated CBM represents a significant portion of the world’s natural gas reserves. In deep coal beds, CBM can be a by-product of coalification processes at elevated temperature and pressure and is referred to as thermogenic gas. In shallower coal seams, CBM formation is the result of microbial transformation of organic matter into methane gas (CH₄) via methanogenesis, involving the syntrophic cooperation of fermenting and acetogenic bacteria with methanogenic archaea. Biogenic gas, including microbial CBM, can contribute up to 20% of the gas resources on Earth. A large portion of coal deposits in the US (ca. 35%) reside in the PRB located in Montana and Wyoming which are the focus of the present study. The isotopic composition of dissolved gases (¹³CH₄ and ¹³CO₂) in the formation water of PRB coal beds is indicative of active methanogenesis as the dominant source of gas in the basin. These low-rank (subbituminous) coal beds provide higher proportions of bioavailable macerals that favor biogenic gas formation in the subsurface. Estimates for the microbial CBM produced from the PRB coal beds over the past decades, range from 15 to 30 trillion ft³ recovered from over 17,000 active wells. While most of the coal in the PRB is unminable, CBM can be extracted and its combustion produces less atmospheric emissions of greenhouse gases than oil or coal.

• Research Organization: Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
• DOE Contract Number: FE0026155
• OSTI ID: 1504223
• Report Number(s): DE-FE-0026155 Final Report
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English