Coalbed Methane    By Susan Parker    airs April 27, 2008     1:17 long

I am here due south of Rawlins on the Atlantic Rim where methane is extracted from coal seams – what you know as coalbed methane.  Coalbed methane is used for a variety of purposes that include domestic, commercial, industrial, and electrical power generation.  Natural gas from coal beds accounts for approximately seven percent of natural gas production in the United States and Wyoming is one of the leaders in this industry.

While used the same as traditional natural gas, coalbed methane production is very different.  Coalbed methane travels with ground water in coal seams; extraction of the methane involves pumping available water from the seam in order to reduce the water pressure that holds gas in the seam. Coalbed methane readily separates as pressure decreases, allowing it to be piped out of the well separately from the water.  The natural gas and the water that are produced at individual wells are piped to a metering facilities, where the amount of production from each well is recorded.  The methane then flows to a compressor station where the gas is compressed and then shipped via pipeline; eventually ending up in your home.

From the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, I’m Susan Parker, exploring the nature of Wyoming.