Coal in Kentucky

Coal in Kentucky
Throughout this century coal has been Kentucky's leading mineral industry in
terms of revenues generated and employment. A total of 7.2 billion tons of coal
has been produced from Kentucky's coal fields. Kentucky has a large resource
of remaining coal, but much of the remaining coal is thinner than what is
currently being produced. In order to maintain current production levels into the
next century, new reserves will have to be discovered, new energy extraction
technologies will have to be developed, and the available resources will have to
be used more efficiently. The Kentucky Geological Survey is conducting
research to provide information on Kentucky's coal resources that will be utilized
in the future.
The bulk of Kentucky's substantial remaining coal resources is only 14 to 42

inches thick, occurs below drainage, or is of poorer quality than what is currently
mined. The next generation of mining will most likely be in deeper parts of the
coal basins than are presently mined. KGS is conducting research to determine
the resource potential of below-drainage coal in both the Western and Eastern
Kentucky Coal Fields. The quality of the remaining reserves, especially in
regard to sulfur and trace elements, must also be characterized.
More efficient use of the available resources should also extend the use of
Kentucky resources. Increased cooperation among mining companies could
result in more efficient use of the resource. Also, new mines will either target
smaller reserves of above-drainage coal or will locate below-drainage, deep
reserves. A significant reserve base of surface-mineable coal still exists in the
Eastern Kentucky Coal Field ( 6.9 billion tons) and perhaps in the Western
Kentucky Coal Field as well. However, a large part of this reserve is located
behind previously surface-mined land with highwalls up to 80 feet high; many
remaining resources are under overburden between 60 and 200 feet thick.
These factors, as well as environmental factors, will increase costs. For
example, any new mining must deal with environmental liabilities associated
with the old surface mines. However, one new technology already available,
thin-seam mining, may reduce the costs of extracting coal under thick
overburden and may make these resources economically desirable for
development. Technology that can take advantage of thin seams 14 to 42
inches thick would certainly open up resources for development in both the
Eastern and Western Kentucky Coal Fields.
KGS has recently resumed research on coal-bed methane. Coal-bed methane

gas (which may also contain a mixture of other gases)is produced in association
with coal in many states, but little has been done in Kentucky to explore this
energy option, although the potential for coal-bed methane exists in parts of the
Eastern and Western Kentucky Coal Fields.
Coal-bed methane was produced in the 1950's in the Eastern Kentucky Coal
Field from gas wells. The gas was mistakenly identified as conventional gas at
first, but analysis of drilling records suggested the gas was produced from coal
beds. This past year a gas company working in cooperation with several coal
companies produced gas from coal-bed methane wells in eastern Kentucky,
and a pipeline was reported to have been connected to these wells.
During the coalification process, large amounts of gas are produced--more gas
than the coal can hold. Some of this gas escapes the coal and is stored in other
rocks or escapes into the atmosphere; and some of the gas remains in the coal.
At first, coal appears to be nonporous and rather densely packed, but it is
actually the least dense rock in the coal fields. Because the gas is stored inside
the coal, coal can hold more gas than an equal volume of more conventional
reservoir rock such as sandstone. Generally, a coal's gas content increases
with depth (below drainage) and rank of the coal.
The technology for discovering and producing coal-bed methane differs from
that for conventional gas. Permeability in coals is created by naturally occurring
fractures, called cleats. Coal is frequently an aquifer because its cleats are
commonly saturated with water. Coal-bed methane is locked in coal by the
water in cleats, and is usually undetectable using conventional gas-well
technology. For methane to be produced from coal, water must first be pumped
from the seam.
In the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field, where past mining has been largely above
drainage, most of the gas in these coals has escaped to the atmosphere over
periods of thousands of years, as the water content of the coals changed with
changing climate. Accordingly, most of the drift mines in coals well above valley
bottoms have not had a persistent methane problem. The history of valley-
bottom and below-drainage coals is different. Numerous mine-gas problems
have been associated with the Lower Elkhorn(Pond Creek, Path Fork) and
Upper Elkhorn coals in eastern Kentucky and from several seams in shaft
mines in western Kentucky. As the above-drainage coal resources of Kentucky
are depleted, more future mining will have to come from coals situated below
drainage, and below-drainage mines may be faced with methane-control
problems. One potential solution to methane control is the production of the gas
ahead of mining.
Another problem with methane is that it contributes to the greenhouse effect

when it is released into the atmosphere. As much as 15 to 20 percent of total
manmade atmospheric methane emissions is from coal mines, which could
prompt environmental agencies to regulate coal companies' release of the gas.
Capturing methane as a marketable resource could benefit the coal industry in
Kentucky. Gas can be accumulated locally and used to generate power for the
coal company, or put in a pipeline(depending upon quality and quantity of the
gas).
One of many ways to develop coal-bed methane fields is to simply drill a gas
well to the coal, perhaps fracture the coal, pump out the water, extract the gas,
and connect the well to a gas pipeline. Coordinating the drilling with mining of
the coal has also been successful: gas wells are drilled down to the coal bed (or
just above it), the coal is mined out, and the roof collapses, creating a large void
of collapsed rock (called gob)that may intersect coal beds above the main bed.
Gas accumulates in the gob and is pumped out by the existing gas wells. A
variation of this post-mining gas extraction is drilling gas wells into abandoned
underground mines. Many old underground mines fill with methane and other
gases, which blend with the air already in the mine. This gas can be produced,
but is generally of lower concentration because it is mixed with other gases.
Many issues must be faced before coal-bed methane can be extracted.
Perhaps the most controversial issue is ownership of the gas. In Kentucky,
ownership of coal and gas may be held separately. Owners of the coal rights
may contend that the coal-bed gas belongs to them, while owners of the gas
rights hold that the gas is theirs. Some states have settled the issue by court
actions or legislation. Unfortunately, Kentucky has not yet made a decision on
ownership of coal-bed gas. Federal regulations allowing extraction of gas will
become effective in October 1995. They will call for forced pooling of those who
own the gas, but do not wish to participate in its production. In other words, if
owners are against the production of their gas, it can still be produced, but an
escrow account will be set up and administered by a review board, which will
protect the interests of the mineral and gas owners.
Coal companies have a vested interest in coal-bed methane extraction because

they are concerned about encountering explosive gas during the mining
process. They would also be interested in the effect of coal-bed methane
production on the mining of the coal. Gas companies, on the other hand, have
the expertise for developing and producing gas, a potentially dangerous
product. Cooperative ventures between coal companies and gas companies
would sidestep the legal problem of ownership and would benefit both parties.
Another methane-related issue is the disposal of water pumped from coal

during methane production. Little is known about the quality of this water. Can it
simply be pumped into existing streams (surface discharge), or should it be
pumped back into the ground (underground injection)?
The projects described in the following sections are designed to answer

questions about future coal resources. These projects cover coal-resource
assessment, coal-mining geology, and coal quality and petrology. Coal-related
information generated by these projects is made available through the Kentucky
Coal Resources Information System (KCRIS), which is one of the largest
publicly available coal data bases in the United States. KCRIS contains
descriptions of coal beds, coal-thickness measurements, coal-quality analyses,
and borehole descriptions. Most of this information is in electronic form and is
continually updated. The Kentucky Geological Survey also promotes technology
transfer through workshops and publications.
Last modified 12/15/2003 00:15:19

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Coal in Kentucky

The bulk of Kentucky's substantial remaining coal resources is only 14 to 42

KGS has recently resumed research on coal-bed methane. Coal-bed methane

Another problem with methane is that it contributes to the greenhouse effect

Coal companies have a vested interest in coal-bed methane extraction because

Another methane-related issue is the disposal of water pumped from coal

The projects described in the following sections are designed to answer

Last modified 12/15/2003 00:15:19

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