Content of adsorbed methane in coal from four core holes in the Raton and Vermejo Formations, Las Animas County, Colorado
Gas desorption measurements were made on coal cores collected during the 1978 coal exploratory drilling program at four sites north of the Purgatoire River in the Trinidad coal field, Raton Mesa coal region, Las Animas County, Colorado. Cores of coal beds in the Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous Raton and Upper Cretaceous Vermejo Formations yielded from 23 to 492 cubic feet of gas per ton of coal (0.71 to 15.0 cc/g). The methane content of the gas ranged from 46 to 99%, and the heat of combustion of the gas ranged from 465 to 997 Btu/cf (17,000 to 37,000 kJ/m/sup 3/). Vermejo Formation coal beds ranging from three to seven feet and totalling as much as 10 feet (3 m) in thickness are believed present beneath an overburden of 1200 to 2200 ft (366 to 670 m) within a 25-square-mile area. Assuming that at least a seven-foot (2 m) thickness of coal extends throughout the area, the volume of gas in-place could be as much as 84 Bcf (2.4 x 10/sup 9/m/sup 3/). Coals in this area are known to be gassy, but quantitative data on their adsorbed methane contents are needed to establish whether these coal beds could become a source of pipeline-quality natural gas.
- Research Organization:
- Geological Survey, Denver, CO (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6199837
- Report Number(s):
- USGS-OFR-79-762; ON: DE83902314
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Coal bed methane potential of the Raton Mesa coal region, Raton Basin, Colorado
Geologic assessment of natural gas from coal seams in the raton and vermejo formations, raton basin. Topical report, January 1991-June 1992
Related Subjects
03 NATURAL GAS
COAL SEAMS
DEGASSING
COLORADO
COAL DEPOSITS
METHANE
CALORIFIC VALUE
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DESORPTION
RESERVES
BOREHOLES
CORRELATIONS
DEPTH
DRILL CORES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPLORATION
GAS ANALYSIS
GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY
MAPS
QUANTITY RATIO
ALKANES
CAVITIES
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COMBUSTION PROPERTIES
DATA
DIMENSIONS
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RESOURCES
SEPARATION PROCESSES
USA
011000* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
010600 - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition
030100 - Natural Gas- Reserves- (-1989)
030900 - Natural Gas- Artificial Stimulation
Plowshare- (-1989)