Environmental impact assessment for steeply dipping coal beds: North Knobs site

Technical Report · Wed Nov 08 04:00:00 EST 1978

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6787007· OSTI ID:6787007

The US Department of Energy is funding an underground coal gasification (UCG) project in steeply dipping coal beds (SDB), at North Knobs, about 8 miles west of Rawlins, Carbon County, Wyoming. The project is being conducted to determine the technical, economic and environmental viability of such a technology. The development of SDB is an interesting target for UCG since such beds contain coals not normally mineable economically by ordinary techniques. Although the underground gasification of SDB has not been attempted in the US, Soviet experience and theoretical work indicate that the gasification of SDB in place offers all the advantages of underground gasification of horizontal coal seams plus some unique characteristics. The steep angle of dip helps to channel the produced gases up dip to offtake holes and permits the ash and rubble to fall away from the reaction zone helping to mitigate the blocking of the reaction zone in swelling coals. The intersection of SDB with the surface makes the seam accessible for drilling and other preparation. The tests at the North Knobs site will consist of three tests, lasting 20, 80 and 80 days, respectively. A total of 9590 tons of coal is expected to be gasified, with surface facilities utilizing 15 acres of the total section of land. The environmental effects of the experiment are expected to be very small. The key environmental impact is potential groundwater contamination by reaction products from coal gasification. There is good evidence that the surrounding coal effectively blocks the migration of these contaminants.

• Research Organization: Gulf Research and Development Co., Pittsburgh, PA (USA); TRW Energy Systems Planning Div., McLean, VA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-77ET13108
• OSTI ID: 6787007
• Report Number(s): DOE/ET/13108-T13; SAN-1472-20
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
010900 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Environmental Aspects
COAL GASIFICATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GASIFICATION
GEOLOGIC STRATA
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
INCLINED STRATA
NORTH AMERICA
PROCESSING
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
SITE SELECTION
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
USA
WYOMING