Citation:

Jones, J., D. Kirchgessner, S. Piccot, J. Winkler, P. Marsosudiro, AND P. Cawkwell. METHOD FOR ESTIMATING METHANE EMISSIONS FROM UNDERGROUND COAL MINES: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/D-91/151 (NTIS PB91223214), 1991.

Description:

The paper discusses the development of an improved method for estimating global methane (CH4) emissions from underground coal mining. ince emissions data presently not available for surface mines, this method is currently restricted to underground mines. The EPA has embarked on a measurements program to quantify CH4 emissions from selected surface mines in the U.S. for later inclusion in this work. H4 from underground mines can be liberated from three sources: ventilation shafts, gob wells, and crushing operations. entilation air, although generally containing 1% or less CH4, contributes most mine emissions because of the enormous volume of air used to ventilate the mine. ob wells are drilled into the rubble-filled areas formed when the mine roof subsides into the unsupported cavity left behind by longwall mining. heir purpose is to remove CH4 which would otherwise have to be removed by larger and more costly ventilation systems. urrently, no published data exist for the release of CH4 from gob wells. owever, preliminary data from the coal mining industry indicate that gob well CH4 emissions could account for a significant fraction of the total emissions associated with longwall mines. he method described in this paper integrates data on coal production, coal properties coalbed CH4 contents, and coal mine ventilation air emissions from U.S. mines.

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