CONSOL Energy will donate the use of three coalbed methane wells in the pilot project. “We are pleased to be a part of this important research, which will serve to further define carbon storage alternatives and continue our collaborative efforts to develop clean coal technologies,” said Steve Winberg, vice president of CONSOL Energy’s research and development department.
Representatives of the VCCE Research, CONSOL Energy and Cardno MM&A, formerly Marshall Miller & Associates attended the February 4 meeting of the Buchanan County Board of Supervisors to explain the project and its significance to members of the board and the public.
Using three coalbed methane wells donated by CONSOL Energy’s CNX Gas Virginia operations, plans call for injecting and storing as much as 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide into underlying coal seams at the identified site this fall.
The injection will be performed during a one-year period and builds on a recently completed 1,000-ton injection test that took place in neighboring Russell County, Va., in 2009.
For this current research program, a comprehensive plan to monitor injected carbon dioxide has been established by the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research and NETL to better understand the feasibility of carbon dioxide storage in unmineable coal seams and to explore the potential for enhanced coal bed methane recovery.
