What Is Coal Seam Methane Gas(cbm)?-00-4112

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Coal bed methane gas (CBM or coal seam methane), as the name suggests, is a by-product of the geological processes that created our waste deposits of coal. It's original name was firedamp because it is the most dangerous of the explosive mine gases. Some coal measures contain more gas other contain less.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, defines CBM as: "Also called coal bed gas, the term refers to methane adsorbed into the solid matrix of the coal. It is called 'sweet gas' because of its lack of hydrogen sulfide. The presence of this gas is well known from its occurrence in underground coal mining, where it presents a serious safety risk. Coalbed methane, often referred to as CBM, is distinct from a typical sandstone or other conventional gas reservoir, as the methane is stored within the coal by a process called adsorption. The methane is in a near-liquid state, lining the inside of pores within the coal (called the matrix). The open fractures in the coal (called the cleats) can also contain free gas or can be saturated with water."
This coal gas can be extracted by various drilling techniques and used as the natural ...
... petroleum gas. For an authoritative review see this complete Wikipedia page Extraction of CBM.
Coal Seam methane (CBM) could provide an alternative source of cleaner energy for global markets in years to come.

With the emergence of coal bed methane as a viable source of energy, the fossil fuel may make something of a comeback in 2011.

Most investors will be familiar with shale gas and oil plays, and their virtues - and more often than not their frustrations.

However, coal bed methane is an alternative and generally lower risk source of unconventional gas.

Coal bed methane production is well established in parts of Australia and North America, but what exactly is coal bed methane?

There is more than one potential fuel source to be found down the pit, as the canary in the coal mine once confirmed.

When coal seams formed millions of years ago gases such as methane were caught between the layers of carbon that ultimately formed in deposits.

With modern technology, resource companies can now unlock this largely untapped source of fuel using special extraction techniques, which are designed to draw the methane to the surface.

To produce coal bed methane, a well is drilled into the coal seam methane, often horizontally.

After a period of de-watering, the pressure in the immediate area drops which then forces the trapped gas to flow up to the surface.

Generally, there are two fairly straightforward rules-of-thumb that apply to most coal bed methane wells.

First, to produce a lot of gas the well must be in contact with a large area of the coal seam - this is why wells tend to be drilled horizontally.

Second, a long de-watering period will generally provide a higher flow rate once the well begins production - this is the result of relative change in pressure.

Below we look at four of the coal bed methane plays that are leading the way on Australia's ASX market.

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Coal Seam Methane
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