Synfuel trends: underground coal gasification
A major objective of the US energy program is to develop environmentally acceptable ways to use coal. Underground coal gasification (UCG) is one of the most promising of these processes. It offers 3 major advantages as a source of synthetic fuel: (1) pipeline quality gas at costs competitive with or lower than that of other synfuels; (2) use of as much as 1.2 trillion tons of coal (triple the present coal reserves) that would not be economical to strip or deep mine; and (3) possible environmental advantages. This study reviews the state of the art in UCG, with emphasis on the US Department of Energy program. The conclusion is that UCG can recover the energy in unminable coal seams to ease demand for imported oil and natural gas, and a commercial UCG process could be onstream by the late 1980s. 34 references.
- OSTI ID:
- 5964997
- Journal Information:
- Chem. Eng. Prog.; (United States), Journal Name: Chem. Eng. Prog.; (United States) Vol. 76:4; ISSN CEPRA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290500 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Research
Development
Demonstration
& Commercialization
294001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Coal
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
COAL
COAL GASIFICATION
COMMERCIALIZATION
ENERGY POLICY
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
FORECASTING
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
MATERIALS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NORTH AMERICA
PROCESSING
SYNTHETIC FUELS
TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
US DOE
US ORGANIZATIONS
USA