Evaluating the feasibility of underground coal gasification in Thailand

Conference · Tue Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1996

OSTI ID:458550

Young, B C; Harju, J A; Schmit, C R; Solc, J ^[1]; Boysen, J ^[2]; Kuehnel, R A ^[3]

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1. Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy and Environmental Research Center
2. B.C. Technologies, Ltd., Laramie, WY (United States)
3. International Inst. for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, Delft (Netherlands)

Underground coal gasification (UCG) is a clean coal technology that converts in situ coal into a low- to medium-grade product gas without the added expense of mining and reclamation. Potential candidates for UCG are those coal resources that are not economically recoverable or that are otherwise unacceptable for conventional coal utilization processes. The Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC), through the sponsorship of the US Trade and Development Agency and in collaboration with the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT), is undertaking a feasibility study for the application of UCG in the Krabi coal mining area, 620 miles south of Bangkok in Thailand. The EERC`s objective for this project is to determine the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of demonstrating and commercializing UCG at a selected site in the Krabi coal mining area. This paper addresses the preliminary developments and ongoing strategy for evaluating the selected UCG site. The technical, environmental, and economic factors for successful UCG operation are discussed, as well as the strategic issues pertaining to future energy expansion in southern Thailand.

• OSTI ID: 458550
• Report Number(s): CONF-960322--; ISBN 0-932066-21-6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL GASIFICATION
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
FUEL GAS
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
SITE SELECTION
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THAILAND