Underground gasification of coal: proposed concept for directional control of the combustion zone

Conference · Mon Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1973

OSTI ID:7316166

Overbey, Jr, W K; Komar, C A; Pasini, J III

The U.S. Bureau of Mines is again interested in investigating the gasifying of coal underground. Although this idea has received considerable attention in the past, a viable economic industry did not result from the completion of previous projects conducted worldwide. Since 1968, however, new technology has evolved from comprehensive studies of earth fracture systems that indicates joints or cleats in coal can be utilized for the flow of product gases. Advances made in drilling technology that permit slant holes and long horizontal holes to be drilled through the coal seams have stimulated a new concept to be investigated. This longwall generator concept utilizes a series of three horizontal holes drilled from the surface by slant hole techniques in a direction normal to the dominant joint (face cleat in eastern United States) direction present in the coal. Combustion is started in one well and the gases removed by maintaining a negative pressure on the two adjacent horizontal holes, thus forcing the combustion zone to migrate laterally toward the producing wells. The ultimate goal of underground coal gasification studies is to determine if directional control will permit devolatilization of the coalbed and gasification of the remaining hot coke in a systematic manner to produce a gaseous product that is suited for the generation of electric power without serious environmental consequences.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Morgantown, WV (USA). Morgantown Energy Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7316166
• Report Number(s): CONF-731181-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
010404* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Gasification
BOREHOLES
CAVITIES
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL GAS
COAL GASIFICATION
DRILLING
FAILURES
FLUID FLOW
FLUIDS
FRACTURES
GAS FLOW
GASES
GASIFICATION
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
IN-SITU GASIFICATION
IN-SITU PROCESSING
JOINTS
PROCESSING
REMOVAL
RESOURCES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VOLATILE MATTER