Tapping the energy in steeply dipping coal beds

Journal Article · · Orange Disc; (United States)

OSTI ID:5507866

Cairns, R

Burning coal underground to generate fuel gas, as opposed to mining the coal and hauling it elsewhere to be fired, is not new. However, a project near Rawlins, Wyoming, in which Gulf Research and Development Co. ignited a coal seam that slopes so steeply it cannot be mined, is the first experimental burn of its kind attempted in the US. The goal of the experiments was to develop and demonstrate the technology. The seam selected was 23 ft wide, subbituminous, and at an angle of 63 degrees. The coal was ignited 380 ft below the surface, and both air and pure oxygen were injected in different phases of the test. No major operations problems were encountered. A computerized economic model for assessing the economics of underground coal gasification has been established. A history of underground coal gasification experiments and technological development also is given.

• OSTI ID: 5507866
• Journal Information: Orange Disc; (United States), Journal Name: Orange Disc; (United States) Vol. 23:12; ISSN ORADA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
AIR
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL SEAMS
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
ECONOMICS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FLUID INJECTION
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GAS INJECTION
GASES
GASIFICATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
IGNITION
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
INCLINED STRATA
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN
PROCESSING
RESOURCES
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
USA
WYOMING