Coal and coalbed methane resource potential of the Bowser Basin, northern British Columbia

Journal Article · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1995 · Energy Sources

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00908319508946073· OSTI ID:28049

Ryan, B D ^[1]; Dawson, F M ^[2]

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1. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources, Victoria, British Columbia (Canada). Geological Survey Branch
2. Geological Survey of Canada, Calgary, Alberta (Canada). Inst. of Sedimentary and Petroleum Geology

The Bowser Basin covers approximately 50,000 km{sup 2} within the northern part of the Intermontane Belt in northwestern British Columbia. The Groundhog coalfield encompasses approximately 5,000 km{sup 2} in the north-central part of the basin. Coal exploration in the coalfield for the last 100 years and a number of published research projects provide the raw data for an assessment of the potential coal and coalbed methane resource of the Groundhog coalfield. The main coal-bearing sequence in the coalfield is of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age and outcrops on all four sides of the northwest-trending Mount Beirnes synclinorium, which is the most prominent regional structure in the coalfield. The rank of the coal varies from semi-anthracite to meta-anthracite. Coal seams are up to 7 m thick, and cumulative coal thickness in the coal-bearing section ranges up to 53 m. The coalfield contains a potential resource of 37 billion metric tons of coal. The estimated potential coalbed methane resource of the Groundhog coalfield is 228 billion m{sup 3} or 8 trillion cubic feet (tcf). The recoverable reserves will be considerably less. The resource value is large, but the complex structure within the Beirnes synclinorium may make recovery difficult. An adsorption isotherm on a drill-core sample of anthracite from the Groundhog coalfield corroborates Kim`s (1977) prediction of the high adsorptive capacity of coal of this rank at low pressure and temperature.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 28049
• Report Number(s): CONF-9305402--
• Journal Information: Energy Sources, Journal Name: Energy Sources Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 17; ISSN 0090-8312; ISSN EGYSAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
03 NATURAL GAS
ADSORPTION ISOTHERMS
BRITISH COLUMBIA
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL RANK
COAL RESERVES
COAL SEAMS
DEGASSING
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
REFLECTIVITY
RESERVOIR PRESSURE
RESERVOIR TEMPERATURE
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
SORPTIVE PROPERTIES
STRATIGRAPHY
VITRINITE