Underground coal gasification site selection and characterization in Washington State and gasification test designs

Technical Report · Wed Sep 10 04:00:00 EDT 1980

OSTI ID:6744302

Stone, R; Hill, R W

A program of investigation has been carried out to identify and characterize a site in Washington state suitable for underground coal gasification (UCG) experiments and possible commercial development. A site in the Tono Basin of the Centralia-Chehalis district containing an estimated 5 x 10/sup 10/ kg of subbituminous coal in two deeply buried seams (the Lower Thompson and the Big Dirty) was found that may be suitable for underground coal gasification (UCG) experiments and possible commercial development. Eight exploratory boreholes and two test wells were drilled to provide the primary subsurface geologic and hydrologic information about the site. A series of surface gasification tests using large blocks of coal cut free of the Big Dirty seam in mine exposures will be conducted to establish a preliminary set of in situ operational parameters-air injection pressures, flow rates, and coal consumption rates. If the site is found suitable, the surface gasification tests will be followed by two deep underground gasification experiments - one employing borehole linking and the other reverse combustion-linking. The proposed large coal block surface gasification tests and the UCG experiments will provide a basis for decisions concerning the nature of future gasification efforts in the Tono Basin.

• Research Organization: California Univ., Livermore (USA). Lawrence Livermore National Lab.
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6744302
• Report Number(s): UCRL-53052
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
BOREHOLES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CAVITIES
COAL
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL GASIFICATION
COAL RESERVES
COAL SEAMS
DATA
DEPTH
DIMENSIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
EXPLORATION
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
GASIFICATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC FAULTS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
HYDROLOGY
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
INFORMATION
LITHOLOGY
MAPS
MATERIALS
MINERAL RESOURCES
NORTH AMERICA
NUMERICAL DATA
PACIFIC NORTHWEST REGION
PLANNING
PROCESSING
RESERVES
RESOURCES
SITE SELECTION
SUBBITUMINOUS COAL
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THICKNESS
USA
WASHINGTON