Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations/l976 

Geological Factors Affecting Methane 

in the Beckley Coalbed 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 
Report of Investigations 8137 

Geological Factors Affecting Methane 

in the Beckley Coalbed 

By J. T. Popp and C. M. McCulloch 

Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. 

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Thomas S. Kleppe, Secretary 

BUREAU OF MINES 

Thomas V. Falkie, Director 
CONTENTS 

Page 

/Abstract ................................................................. 1 

Introduction ............................................................. 1 

Acknowledgments .......................................................... 2 

Historical background .................................................... 2 

Previous work ....................................................... 2 

Origin of methane in coal ........................................... 3 

Geology of the Beckley coalbed ........................................... 4 

Generalized stratigraphy of the New River Formation ................. 5 

Regional and local structure ........................................ 8 

Fracture trends in rock and coal ......................................... 11 

Cleat in coal ....................................................... 11 

Joints in rock ...................................................... 11 

Relationship of cleat and joints to regional structure .............. 15 

Geologic factors affecting methane emission .............................. 16 

Lithologic variations above and below the Beckley coalbed ........... 16 

Overburden thickness above the Beckley coalbed ...................... 19 

Thickness of the Beckley coalbed . ................................... 21 

Structure of the Beckl.ey coalbed .................................... 24 

Movement of methane in the coal environment .............................. 25 

Summary .................................................................. 27 

Bibliography ............................................................. 29 

Appendix .-- Nomenclature .................................................. 35 

ILLUS TRATIONS 

Original minable extent of the Beckley coalbed ...................... 4 

Cleat spacing in a hand specimen of Beckley coal .................... 5 

Location of study area .............................................. 6 

Generalized stratigraphic column of the Sewell-Fire Creek interval .. 7 

Split between the upper and lower Beckley coalbed near Slab Fork, 

W . Va ............................................................. 8 

Base map with data points and property outlines ..................... 9 

Structure contour map of the base of the Beckley coalbed ............ 10 

Rose diagrams of subsurface cleat directions in the Beckley coalbed . 12 

Rose diagrams of surface joint measurements ......................... 14 

Comparison of subsurface cleat directions, surface measurements, 

and structural trends ............................................. 15 

Panel diagram of the strata below the Beckley coalbed ............... 17 

Panel diagram of the strata above the Beckley coalbed ............... 18 

Isopach map of the overburden above the Beckley coalbed ............. 20 

Isopach map of the Beckley coalbed .................................. 22 

Mined-out areas and wants in the Beckley coalbed .................... 23 

TABLE S 

1 . Measured cleat directions in the Beckley coalbed .................... 11 

2 . Principal joint directions measured ................................. 13 

3 . Overburden thickness above Beckley coalbed mines .................... 21 
TABLES ..Continued 

Page 

4 . Estimated coal reserves of the Beckley coalbed ....................... 24 

5 . Methane emission and water production from a vertical borehole 

in the Beckley coalbed ............................................. 24 

6 . Coal production and methane emission data for Beckley coalbed mines .. 26 

7 . Gas content of virgin Beckley coal and estimated emission rates ...... 26 

8 . Estimated present gas reserves in the Beckley coalbed ................ 27 
GEOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING METHANE 

IN THE BECKLEY COALBED1 

by 

J. T. Popp and C. M. McCul loch 

ABSTRACT 

This Bureau of Mines study reviews the geological factors that affect 

methane in the Beckley coalbed in southern West Virginia, including overburden, 

coalbed structure, type of and changes in lithology above and below the 

Beckley coalbed, and presence of fractures in the coal and rock adjacent to 

the Beckley. Depending on the depth, the Beckley coalbed emits from 216 to 

520 ft3 of methane per ton of coal mined, and the Bureau estimates that methane emission in a deep, extensively developed mine in this area may exceed 

3,000 ft3 per day per ton of coal mined. 

Average face cleat and butt cleat trends in the Beckley coalbed measured 

underground are N 33" W and N 53" E, respectively. Close cleat spacing contributes to the friable nature of the Beckley and provides easy movement for 

methane and water. Because rider coals, splits, and carbonaceous shales may 

contribute methane to mine emissions, predictions of methane emission based on 

gas content of the Beckley coalbed alone may be conservative. Beckley coalbed 

reserves in the study area are 234 million tons. The gas content of the 

Beckley coalbed averages 407 ftJ/ton, and the coalbed gas reserves are 108 

billion ft3. 

INTRODUCTION 

The Bureau of Mines, in cooperation with five local coal companies, studied the effects of geology on methane in the Beckley coalbed. The study area 

includes portions of Fayette, Raleigh, and Wyoming Counties, in southern West 

Virginia, where five underground coal mines are presently working in the 

Beckley coalbed. The Beckley coalbed is being developed in the deeper parts 

of its basin of deposition; earlier development was hindered by irregular coal 

thickness and increasing methane emission with depth. Because the Beckley, a 

low-volatile metallurgical coal, is in large demand, three mines (Beckley , Beckley No. 1, and Maple Meadow) have opened in the last 4 years with another 

mine (Beckley-Lick Run) under construction. Initial desorption tests of coal 

 his report contains portions of a Master Is Thesis in Geology completed at 

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. 

2~eologist. 
cores and mine methane emissions in the new mines indicate a high methane content, especially as mining deepens. 

Because the structure and stratigraphy of the Beckley coalbed control the 

migration and retention of methane, geologic maps were constructed from core 

logs and mine data. These maps include the coalbed structure, coal thickness, 

overburden thickness, mined-out coal areas, and lithology above and below the 

Beckley. Surface joints were measured and are presented on a quadrangle basis. 

Cleat directions in the five mines were also measured, and the relation of the 

joints to the coal cleat is examined. 

Finally, the amount of methane in the Beckley coalbed is estimated. The 

data collected indicate that the Beckley coalbed will probably be gassier than 

the Pocahontas No. 3 coalbed, especially as mining moves under 1,000 feet of 

overburden. 

ACKNOW LE DGME NTS 

The authors thank the following companies and their officials for their 

cooperation in collecting data: Beckley Coal Mining Co., Maple Meadow Mining 

Co. , The New River Co. , Ranger Fuel Corp. , and Westmoreland Coal Co. 

The authors also thank Dr. Russell Dutcher, Department of Geology, 

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ill. , for his suggestions regarding 

preparation of the manuscript. 

HI STOR ICAL BACKGROUND 

The first use of the Beckley coalbed coincided with settlement in the 

area where the Beckley crops out. Early settlements began in the Wyoming 

County area in the 1780's. As railroads extended from Virginia into West 

Virginia in the 18801s, mining increased. 

Previous Work 

Investigations concerning the Beckley coalbed are divided into two categories: Studies of carbonizing properties and blending qualities of the 

Beckley, and geological studies of problems related to coal deposition in 

southern West Virginia. 

The first geologic referencestothe Beckley coalbed are by Campbell 

(8-z)3 in 1898 and 1902 and White (72) in 1903, who published columnar sections of the Beckley and other New River sedimentary units. According to 

Hennen (g), the Beckley is the equivalent of the War Creek coalbed as 

reported by White (73). 

Carbonizing proper ties were studied by Aresco (L-Z), Fieldner (25 -26), 

Davis (u), Reynolds (x), and others (1, 26, 55, 63, 66). In 1944, Headlee 

3Underlined numbers in parentheses refer to items in the list of bibliography 

preceding the appendix. 
(31) described both the petrography of the Beckley and the flow of methane 

through different coal types, while the physical properties and characteristics of the Beckley were described in 1955 (32). Estimates of recoverable 

reserves of the Beckley in several counties are made by Dowd (a) and Wallace 

(70-71). 

Two different ideas on the geologic history of the area are reported in 

the literature. Gwinn (3) and Price (56) have published papers on the deposition, thickness, and irregular structures of the Beckley coal. Gwinn placed 

responsibility for the irregular coal thickness on deposition on an irregular 

surface. Working in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, Ferm (23-3) advanced 

the idea that the strata containing coals similar in age and stratigraphic 

position to the Beckley represent successive depositional environments relating to deltaic sedimentation. Galloway (28) and Robinson (58-2) have found a 

similar environment of deposition in the Fayette -Raleigh County area, working 

with the Beckley coalbed. 

Origin of Methane in Coal 

A fundamental understanding of the origin of methane in coalbeds is necessary to relate geology to methane movement. Because methane is a hazard to 

underground coal mining, a great deal of literature is devoted to the origin 

and movement of methane. A basic explanation of the origin of methane is discussed here; for a more complete discussion see Hass (E), Selden (a), Moore 

(g), and Venter (68). 

Two theories for the origin of methane in coal are (1) that methane in 

coal originates in a source foreign to the bed, and (2) that methane is generated within the bed. The latter theory is preferred in this study. 

Atmospheric gases absorbed by and occluded in peat and dissolved in swamp 

waters during the first stages of accumulation of plant material have been suggested as an outside source (16). Gases produced by the transformation of 

organic material during coalification and gases produced by radioactive disintegration of elements in the coal strata are an internal source. However, 

the most important process, volumetrically speaking, is by the transformation 

of organic materials into gases (16). In this process, methane is a product 

of anaerobic bacterial metabolism of cellulose, lignin, wax, and resins. This 

process takes place in three stages: 

1. The cellulose ferments, forming mostly carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and 

methane. Because the vegetal matter is exposed either to water or air, most 

of the gas is released to the atmosphere. 

2. This is followed by the slow decomposition of lignin. A sediment may 

have accumulated over the deposit to allow the presence of moisture, but not 

of air. Differential diffusion in this stage allows carbon dioxide to be 

absorbed by the water, and hydrogen is diffused through the sediment to the 

atmosphere while the coal retains the methane. 
FIGURE 1. - Original minable extent of the Beckley coalbed. 
beds. The Sewell 

and Beckley are 

the principal economic coalbeds of 

this formation. 

Hennen (34) 

describes the New 

River Formation as 

attaining a maximum thickness of 

1,030 feet in 

Wyoming and 

McDowell Counties. 

Galloway (3) 

found that, within 

Raleigh County, 

the format ion 

thinned 400 feet FIGURE 2, - Cleat spacing in a hand specimen of Beckley coal, in a northwest 

direction. Within 

the study area the New River Formation varies in thickness for two reasons: 

(1) The formation generally thins to the north, and (2) minor transgressions, 

regressions, and erosion have locally thinned, thickened, or removed sections 

of the geologic column. 
FAYETTE COUNTY 

\ 

1 

WYOMING COUNTY 

FIGURE 3. - Location of study area. 

Figure 4 is a generalized stratigraphic column constructed from core hole 

descriptions of lithology between the Sewell and Fire Creek coalbeds. The 

more important stratigraphic markers include the Sewell coalbed, the Raleigh 

Sandstone, the Beckley coalbed, the Quinnimont Sandstone, and the Fire Creek 

coalbed. The core descriptions used are taken from characteristic core holes 

representing the different lithologies between the coalbeds from each mine 

property. The interval between the Sewell and Beckley coalbeds ranges from a 

section of sandstone to a section dominated by shale with several coals. 

Recognition of the Beckley in core hole descriptions is dependent on recognizing key beds and the intervals between these beds. The Sewell-Fire Creek 

interval is considered important here because of the confusion between the 

lower split of the Beckley and the Fire Creek. 

The multibedded character of the Beckley is important in mining. In the 

Eccles No. 5 mine, for example, the Beckley coalbed is often found in three 

distinct coal units separated by two shale or slate bands. Dowd (21) noted 

that as much as 50 feet of strata may separate the three benches. An example 
Beckley coal 

- Quinnimont 

Sandstone 

Fire Creek coal 

LEGEND 

Coal 

Shale 

Sandstone 

Conglomerate 

FIGURE 4. - Generalized stratigraphic column of the 

Sewell-Fire Creek interval. 
northwest between 1" and 2" 

(90 to 180 feet per mile). 

Figure 6 is a map of 

the data points used to 

prepare the maps in this 

report. It should be noted 

that the Beckley-Lick Run 

FIGURE 5. - Split between the upper and lower Beckley Mine has been included in 

coalbed near Slab Fork, W. Va. figure 6 to show its proximity to the other mines 

even though it is still under construction. Because it is not open, the 

Beckley-Lick Run Mine is not included in the underground cleat surveys 

(fig. 8 and table I), the mined-out areas (fig. 15), and the coal production 

and methane emission data (table 6). Figure 7 is a structure contour map of 

the study area drawn on the base of the Beckley coalbed. The map is drawn 

with a 40-foot contour interval to aid in the construction of an overburden 

isopach map from topographic maps with the same contour interval. It is 

similar to earlier mapping (34) and illustrates two structural features in the 

southwestern portion of the study area--the Pineville anticline and the 

Pinevil le sync line. 

No structural faults were detected in the study area, although mining 

officials refer to areas within several mines as being "faulted-out." This 

refers to '!want1' areas where the coal thins or is not present, representing 

a sedimentary feature rather than a structural feature. (See appendix.) 

I 

I McGRAWS LESTER CRAB ORCHARD 

FIGURE 7. - Structure contour map of the base of the Beckley coalbed. 
FiiACTURE TRENDS IN ROCK AND COAL 

Sedimentary rocks including coalbeds are cut by fractures. Because fractures increase the permeability of rock and coal to fluid migration, the relationship of methane movement to fracture systems is examined below. 

Cleat in Coal 

The natural vertical fracture system in bituminous coalbeds is called 

cleat. Two cleat directions, the face cleat and butt cleat, are common to 

coal, with the face being more prominent than the butt. (See appendix.) 

Because coal tends to break along cleat, the orientation of the cleat has in 

the past controlled the direction of mining. With the advent of continuousmining machines, the direction of mining is no longer solely determined by the 

direction in which coal most easily fractures. Cleat is important in the flow 

of methane and water into mines, and a direct permeability relationship has 

been formed between the amount of gas emitted and cleat direction (45). 

Cleat directions were measured at locations throughout the five mines and 

plotted on rose diagrams (fig. 8). Directional trends for the cleat systems 

and their separations are listed in table 1. 

TABLE 1. - Measured cleat directions in the Beckley coalbed 

Joints in Rock 

Mine 

Beckley ................. Beckley No. 1.. ......... Eccles No. 5 ............ Maple Meadow.. .......... Skelton ................. 

A fracture system along which there has been no movement is called 

jointing; such systems are common to most sedimentary rocks. Joints are 

nearly vertical and disrupt the physical continuity of the rock mass. (See 

appendix. ) Jointing in surf ace strata is believed to indicate the direction 

of inherent weakness in the Beckley coalbed. Determination of the dominant 

joint directions in advance of mining permits the planning of entries and mine 

development in directions that reduce mining problems. In addition, the joint 

directions determine the spacing of holes for maximum gas flow from hydraulically stimulated vertical degasif ication holes. 

Surface measurements of joints above the Beckley coalbed were made within 

the study area. An average of 113 joint readings were made per quadrangle 

with a minimum of 100 readings per quadrangle and no more than 10 at each outcrop. The directions were read on azimuth-type damped Brunton compasses and 

corrected for magnetic declination. 

Face cleat 

N 36" W 

N 37" W 

N 34" W 

N 25" W 

N 28" W 

Butt cleat 

N 49" E 

N 72" E 

N 52" E 

N 60" E 

N 47" E 

Separation 

85" 

109" 

86" 

95" 

74" 
- 2 4 

Scale, miles 

1 Beckley No. l mine 

2 Maple Meadow mine 

3 Beckley mine 

4 Eccles No. 5 mine 

5 Skelton mine 

FIGURE 8. - Rose diagrams of subsurface cleat directions in the Beckley coalbed. 

Rose diagrams were plotted to determine the major joint directions for 

each quadrangle and assembled for the study area (fig. 9). The directional 

trends for each quadrangle are listed in table 2. 
TABLE 2. - Principal joint directions measured 

Quadrangle 

Arnett ............................ 

Beckley ........................... 

Crab Orchard ...................... 

Dorothy ........................... 

Eccles ............................ 

Lester ............................ 

McGraws ........................... 

Oak Hill.. ........................ 

Pax.... ........................... ;':Dominant trend. 

;k;'cTrends that do not represent a fundamental system. 

Separation 

92" 

89" 

93" 

88" 

104" 

99" 

105" 

103" 

82" 

96" 

86" 

92" 

117" 

91" 

92" 

90" 

94 " 

90" 

Joint 

N 49" W 

N88"W 

N 34" W;k 

N 63" W 

N 82" W 

N 62" W;k 

N 40" W 

N 38" W 

N 09" W 

N 46" W 

N 58" W 

N 200 w;~: 

N 76" W 

N 38" W 

N 51" W 

N39" W 

N 42" W 

N 16" W 

Directions 

N 43" E 

NOlOE 

N 57" E;': 

N 25" E 

N 7 1" pk>k 

N 84" E-/.;k 

N 22" E 

N 37" E;k 

N 65" E 

N 65" E 

N 73" E 

N 50" E 

N 28" E 

N 720 ~ik 

N 41" E 

N 53" E 

N 41" E 

N5l0E>k 

N 52" E 

N 74" E 
%-' 5 measurements 

N 

\+- 10 measurements 

+--' 5 measurements 

I RALEIGH 

COUNTY 

b, 5 measurements 1 

I 

10 measurements - l 5 measurements - I 

I WYOMING \ 1 1 1 

ARNETT 

1 

+ + 

10 measurements 10 measurements 5 measurements 

McGRAWS LESTER CRAB ORCHARD 

ECCLES 

0 16,000 

I 

Scale, ft 

BECKLEY 

FIGURE 9. - Rose diagrams of surface joint measurements. 
p

W fundamental joint system as 

described by Nickelsen (50) 10 measuremenis with one systematic trend 

and two nonsystematic trends 

N 33O W N present. 

The Pineville anticline 

and the Pineville syncline 

are seen in figure 7 and are 

nearly parallel with the 

Allegheny Front, which 

N 53"E trends N 50" E, east of the 

study area. During folding, 

Cleat directions the systematic joints and 

face cleats formed ~arallel 

W 

to the direction of greatest '-+ E compression, while the non10 measurements systematic joints and butt 

cleats formed parallel to 

FIGURE 10. - Comparison of subsurface cleat directions, the direction of least 

surface measurements, and structural trends. stress. This can be 

observed in figure 10 where 

the parallelism of the face cleats with the systematic joints, and of the 

butt cleats with the nonsystematic joints and structural trends, is evident. 

The relationship of fracture trends and fold axes to the structural front 

noted here is similar to that developed in earlier work (45, 5l, 69). 
In the Eccles No. 5 mine there is a correlation of cleat directions (face 

cleat N 34" W, butt cleat N 52" E) to surface joint measurements (N 32" W, 

N 48" E) above the mine. This correlation supports a study in which coal 

cleat orientation in the Pittsburgh coalbed was estimated using surface joint 

measurements (lg). 

GEOLOGIC FACTORS AFFECTING METHANE EMISS ION 

Methane is intimately associated with coal. Research has shown that 

methane is contained under pressure in equilibrium with its surroundings until 

coal is mined, faulted, or intercepted by drilling, and that methane moves 

once its environmental equilibrium is upset (11-12, l4, 18). This research 

shows that methane and its movement in the coalbed environment are related to 

geology. The geologic factors affecting methane emission in the Beckley coalbed considered here are lithologic variations above and below the Beckley 

coalbed, overburden thickness above the Beckley coalbed, thickness of the 

Beckley coalbed, structure of the Beckley coalbed, and cleat orientation in 

underground mines. 

Lithologic Variations Above and Below the Beckley Coalbed 

Methane emission from Beckley coalbed mines is not only from coal, but 

lso from adjacent strata. The presence of porous and permeable sandstone 

bove and/or below the Beckley may allow methane to enter the mine atmosphere 

from external sources such as rider coals, splits, and carbonaceous shales. 

Panel diagrams illustrate lateral and vertical changes in lithology above and 

below the Beckley and possible external sources of methane. 

The panel diagrams were constructed using nearly 80 core holes and 

drillers ' logs selected from some 250 logs available and represent the 

regional stratigraphic trends. The lithologic descriptions are very general 

and represent only coal, sandstone, and shale. Because of rapid lateral 

changes in lithology above and below the Beckley, panel interpretations from 

data locations more than 1 mile apart are less reliable than data located 

within one-half mile; an optimum core hole spacing might be 2,000 feet with 

more holes in areas of low coal. The panel diagrams of the roof strata are 

drawn from the base of the Beckley coalbed, while the panel diagrams of the 

floor strata are drawn from the top of the coalbed; both diagrams are terminated at a lithologic contact whenever possible. 

According to Krebs (42) , the strata below the Beckley coalbed consist of 

a lenticular sandstone with a dark gray, lenticular shale beneath, underlain 

by the Fire Creek coalbed. Any or all of these units may be absent. Carbonaceous shales in the floor, formed from organic-rich irmds, may be a source of 

methane (&), especially if the shale is permeable. In the mines surveyed, 

the floor lithology ranged from a black shale to a sandy shale; in the Maple 

Meadow and Beckley mines methane was being emitted from a black shale. 

Figure 11 shows the strata below the Beckley. Because exploration cores 

are not usually drilled very far below the coal, fewer data points are available than in the construction of geologic maps on the strata above the coalbed. 


Generally, the floor strata in the mines consist of shale. The panel diagrams 

do not describe the shale types, nor do they show the presence of a coal 

directly underlying the portions of the two mines having floor emissions. 

However, methane emission from the shale floor implies either that the shales 

are carbonaceous and the source of the methane, or that the methane has 

migrated to the floor of the mine from the Beckley coalbed or from a coalbed 

below. Figure 11 shows coal beneath the Beckley coalbed in the McGraws quadrangle and along the Pax-Eccles quadrangle boundary. The proximity and areal 

extent of these lower coals indicate an additional potential source of methane 

for the mines being developed in those areas; namely, the Beckley No. 1 mine 

and the Beckley-Lick Run mine. 

Krebs (42) described the presence of a dark gray shale, rider coal, and 

sandstone above the Beckley in the study area. Both the shale and sandstone 

are described as lenticular, and the shale and coal may both be absent. In 

general the mines surveyed have a dark shale or draw slate roof; the shale is 

usually thin bedded and grades into sandy shale or thin-bedded sandstone. 

Core descriptions bear out the rapid changes in lithology and also denote the 

presence of a discontinuous rider coal above the Beckley. 

Rapid changes in roof lithology and the presence of a rider coal are 

illustrated in figure 12. In the Pax quadrangle, the roof lithology changes 

from predominantly shale to sandstone, with a discontinuous rider present at 

two data points. Along the Eccles -Arnett quadrangle border the roof becomes a 

succession of thin shales and sandstones. Near the Raleigh-Wyoming line in 

the McGraws quadrangle a continuous coal (about 1-1/2 miles long) appears in 

the roof strata. This coal is separated from the Beckley by 25 to 30 feet of 

sands tone. 

In figure 12, the absence of a split or rider coal may be a function of 

widespread data points and does not necessarily mean that a split or rider 

coal is not present in the field. Poor roof conditions, due to alternating 

thin-bedded shales and sandstone, subject overlying splits to a release in 

confining pressure. This can result in additional methane emission. 

Overburden Thickness Above the Becklev Coalbed 

A widely accepted rule of thumb for coal is that the deeper the coalbed, 

the more gaseous it is. If the methane in a coalbed is in equilibrium, equal 

volumes of methane would be expected per unit volume of coal throughout the 

coalbed. When the equilibrium is disrupted by outcrop or mining, methane is 

emitted. Where the disequilibrium is large, as may be caused by mining under 

increased overburden, methane emission rates may increase substantially. 

An isopach of the overburden above the Beckley coalbed is shown in figure 13. A 400-foot contour interval is used because of the difficulty in 

reading a smaller scale on a map of this size. 

In the study area, overburden thickness ranged from zero at outcrop in 

the Beckley quadrangle to greater than 2,200 feet in the Pax quadrangle. In 

general, the overburden increases to the northwest, corresponding to the 
I L 

I 

I 

LESTER 

I I McGRAWs- - -1. -- j CRAB ORCHARD 

FIGURE 13. - lsopach map of the overburden above the Beckley coalbed. 
~eckley 's increasing depth relative to mean sea level in that direction. The 

average overburden and range of overburden thickness for each mine are given 

in table 3. 

TABLE 3. - Overburden thickness above Beckley coalbed mines 

No accurate data are available to compare methane emission in each mine 

from areas of lesser and greater overburden. Officials in both the Skelton 

and Eccles No. 5 mines have noted increased emission when mining under deeper 

cover. Within the five-mine areaemissionrates generally increase as overburden 

increases. A remote monitoring system now being installed in the Beckley mine 

by the Bureau of Mines may yield information on methane emission from areas 

with varying overburden (35). 

Mine 

Beckley-Lick Run. ...... Beckley ................ Beckley No. I.......... 

Eccles No. 5. .......... Maple Meadow.. ......... Skelton ................ 

Thickness of the Beckley Coalbed 

An isopach map (fig. 14) with a 36-inch contour interval was drawn of the 

Beckley coalbed. The map was constructed utilizing core holes, drillers' logs, 

and mine maps, and depicts total coalbed thickness (coal and partings). The 

thickness is variable, ranging from 0 to more than 108 inches. There are several possible explanations for the variation: (1) The coal may have been 

deposited on an irregular surface, (2) the coal may have compacted differentially with overlying sediments, and (3) the coal may have undergone erosion 

both during deposition and after burial. Examples of the latter theory may be 

seen in the southeast corner of Eccles quadrangle and in the southwest corner 

of Beckley quadrangle in figure 15. In these locations, areas of want are 

outlined by what appear to be channels, and roughly correspond to low-coal 

areas in figure 14. 

Overburden variation, ft 

600-2,360 

520-1,680 

480 -2,240 

550-1,400 

600 -1,720 

0-1,100 

Large areas of low coal (less than 36 inches) appear in figure 13. Several researchers relate the Beckley coalbed's accumulation and thickness to 

the coalbed's environment of deposition (27, 58-59), In this theory thick 

coal is associated with topographic lows, while thin coal is associated with 

topographic highs. The low and high areas correspond with "hills" and 

'Galleys" of a paleotopography, and are similar to the coal thickness trends 

of the Eccles No. 5 and Skelton mines. In portions of the Arnett, Eccles, and 

McGraws quadrangles one thick coal accumulation compares with the 'Galley" of 

the Pineville syncline. 

Av overburden, ft 

1,139 

827 

1,117 

669 

865 

64 7 

The coal isopach map is used to calculate original coal reserves and 

methane reserves. Coal reserve calculations are based on coal seam thickness 

rather than on clean coal thickness, since it is felt that both coal and 
\ 

\ 0 16,000 

Scale, ft 

McGRAWS \ LESTER - - - -- - A 

CRAB ORCHARD - 

FIGURE 14. - lsopach map of the Beckley coalbed, 
YORoTHY 

PAX 

LESTE

LEGEND 

Mined-out coal 1 Skelton mine 

- Want areas 2 Eccles No. 5 

3 Becklev mine 

0 16,000 4 Maple Meado

Scale, ft 5 Beckley No. I 

FIGURE 15. - Mined-out areas and 
partings will emit methane into the mines. In table 4, the original reserves 

of the Beckley coalbed for each mine have been calculated. The original coal 

reserves were about 279 million tons. Subtracting the amount mined to date, 

the total reserves at present are about 234 million tons. 

TABLE 4. - Estimated coal reserves of the Beckley coalbed, 

million tons 

Structure of the Beckley Coalbed 

Mine 

Beckley-Lick Run. ....... Beckley ................. Beckley No. 1.. ......... Eccles No. 5............ 

Maple Meadow. ........... Skelton. ................ Total .............. 

While figure 6 illustrates the general structure of the Beckley coalbed, 

geologic factors may contribute locally to methane emission. The slope entry 

of the Maple Meadow mine is located in the axis of the Pineville syncline. In 

this mine very high emission rates occur during operation of the continuous 

miner. It seems probable that water, saturating and filling cleat spaces, 

prevents or slows natural degasification. While the miner is operating, coal 

is crushed, allowing rapid emission of methane trapped in the cleat by water. 

When the miner is not operating, emission decreases rapidly. The continued 

collection of water in the mine reflects a continuous recharge of water along 

the axis of the syncline. 

A degasfication program utilizing vertical boreholes and hydraulic stimulation is under study for the area surrounding the slope of the Beckley-Lick 

Run mine. Emission may be hampered by water moving structurally downdip from 

virgin coal to the degasification holes. A preliminary well has been drilled 

and stimulated. Water, as well as methane, is being produced (table 5). 

Daily emission is less than originally expected. One reason may be improper 

well completion. Unless water relief wells are placed structurally updip from 

the degasification holes, or until the coal has dewatered itself, methane 

drainage may not be complete. 

Total coal 

56 

6 7 

41 

3 1 

46 

38 

279 

TABLE 5. - Methane emission and water ~roduction from a vertical 

borehole in the Beckley coalbed 

Mined-out coal 

- 

0.8 

.1 

25.3 

.1 

18.8 

45.1 

Remaining coal 

56 

66 

40 

6 

46 

19 

234 

NOTE.--Emission and production figures are averages of 240 daily 

measurements prior to August 1975. 

Date 

Aug. 12, 1975 ......... 

Methane emission, ft3 

Daily 

10,296 

Water production, bbl 

Cumulative 

3,768,400 

Daily 

10.5 

Cumulative 

3,838 
A degasification program utilizing two horizontal boreholes was operated 

for 55 days in the Beckley mine in 1973. During the test nearly 4 million ft3 

of methane and over 33,000 bbl of water were produced. Emission apparently 

was not hsmpered by water in the coalbed (a). 

All mines in the Beckley coalbed have encountered want areas where there 

is low coal due to "rolling" or "faulting" of the roof and/or floor (fig. 15). 

In either case, the coal thins with respect to the floor or roof. The transition zones between thin coal and thick coal often show slickensiding in the 

roof and coal, perhaps due to differential sediment compaction. However, not 

all slickensides occur under these conditions. In the Beckley mine slickensiding has also been observed where structural folding has thinned the coal. 

If the formation of want areas was initiated by geological factors, a detailed 

structure map and slickenside survey in each mine will be useful in detecting 

trends for the want areas. A knowledge of underground structure may forestall 

drilling horizontal degasification boreholes into roof rolls and want areas. 

MOVEMENT OF METHANE IN THE COAL ENVIRONMENT 

The movement of methane from coal and adjacent strata has been described 

by earlier researchers (10-11, 16, 33, 4l, 44, 46, 52-54). A brief summary of 

methane movement is given. 

Methane movement from coal may be described in two ways: (1) Diffusion 

of methane through the micropore structure of coal according to Fick's law, 

and (2) movement along secondary avenues or interconnecting fractures in the 

coalbed according to Darcy's law (11). The methane flow rates are related 

directly to the concentration of methane and the pressure gradient. Movement, 

then, is a function of porosity and permeability. 

Methane movement from adjacent strata also contributes to mine emissions. 

Emission from roof strata has been associated with roof falls and sand channels (44), while emission from floor strata in Beckley mines is associated 

with black shales. Methane generated in organic-rich muds (33) can become 

trapped during shale formation just as methane is trapped during coal 

formation. 

Methane movement in the coalbed environment is also dependent on depth. 

Because gas at greater depths is under higher pressure, the emission rate is 

dependent on depth, coal production rate, and nature of the coalbed and surrounding strata (2, 37). Several mathematical models predict methane and 

water movement in the coalbed environment while taking into account coalbed 

properties and fluid functions (53-54). 

Two methods were used to estimate the methane content and emission 

potential for the mines operating in the Beckley coalbed. The first was to 

examine the methane emission records from the mines in the study area. The 

results are summarized in table 6. 
TABLE 6. - Coal production and methane emission data 

for Beckley coalbed mines 

Beckley ............. Beckley No. 1.. ..... 24 mo 

Eccles No. 5.. ...... 70 yr 

Maple Meadow. ....... 16 mo 

1 All mines use continuous -m 

Production, Methane 

emis s ion, 

Capacity Actual fta/day 

6,000 3,000 2,000,000 

34 ,000 '100 557,000 

2,200 1,700 474,000 

35 ,400 

_ 1 100 1 278 ;OOO 

1 800 700 151 000 

ning machines with a room-and 

Coal 

thickness, 

inches 

36 -84 

36 -42 

36 -66 

30 -96 

36 -60 

-pillar mini 

Depth at 

tipple, 

feet 

6 18 

ng plan. 

2~s of August 1975. 

3~he mine is still in development. 

4Represents approximate depth to coal at tipple; miners enter the mine through 

a portal where the Beckley crops out. 

The second method (41, 46) estimates the methane content of a virgin coalbed based on the volume of methane desorbed from coal samples obtained from 

core drilling. This direct method gives the volume of methane per ton of 

virgin coal, which can be converted to methane emission per ton of coal mined 

per day (table 7). 

TABLE 7. - Gas content of virgin Beckley coal and estimated 

emission rates 

Knowing the daily methane emission and/or amount of coalbed gas, coal 

production, and original coal reserves, the original methane reserves may be 

estimated. Knowing the structure, coal thickness, overburden thickness, and 

environmental settings, the methane reserves in virgin areas can be estimated 

from the methane volume per ton of coal (table 8). 

Drill hole No. 

215. .................. 212 ................... 223 ................... 224 ................... 

Average. ......... 

Recent studies (22, 27) have shown that commercial-quality gas from vertical boreholes can be obtained from coalbeds in advance of mining. The four 

new mine properties in the Beckley coalbed have over 100 billion ft3 of methane in their coal reserves. Degasification in advance of mining would reduce 

mining hazards and costs as well as supplement energy demands. 

Depth, 

ft 

1,005 

875 

830 

740 

862 

Gas content of 

Beckley coal, 

cm3 /g 

13.1 

14.1 

15.4 

13.7 

14.1 

Gas content of 

Beckley coal, 

ft3 /ton 

419 

453 

492 

439 

451 

Estimated rate 

of emission, 

f t3 /ton mined 

3,100 

3,100 

3,350 

3,000 

3,140 
TABLE 8. - Estimated present gas reserves in the Beckley coalbed 

Mine 

Beckley ......... Beckley -Lick Run 

Beckley No. 1. .. Eccles No. 5.... 

Maple Meadow .... Skelton.. ....... Average and 

IRepresents gas content determined by the direct method in virgin coal. 

Kissell (41) estimates that a well-established deep mine with this content 

will liberate approximately 3,050 ft3 of methane per ton coal per day. 

totals .... I 407 I 279 

SUMMARY 

Gas content, 

ft3 /ton 

520 

'446 

520 

238 

5 00 

2 16 

This studyshowed that at least four geology-related factors affect methane in the Beckley coalbed. The factors are as follows: 

234 

1. Lithologic variations above and below the Beckley may add to methane 

emissions. Carbonaceous shales and coal splits occur below the Beckley in 

areas where floor emissions are present. Panel diagrams constructed from core 

logs indicate substantial coal splits above and below the Beckley in other 

mines. Therefore, predictions of methane emission during mining based on the 

"direct method" may be conservative. 

Original coal, 

lo6 tons 

67 

56 

41 

3 1 

46 

38 

108 

2. The theory that methane emission increases as depth increases holds 

in the Beckley coalbed. Methane emissions increase from just over 200 ft3/ton 

in older, shallow mines to over 500 ft3/ton in newer, deeper mines. Methane 

emissions are expected to increase to the northwest of present mining, corresponding to the increase in overburden. Present new mines will operate as 

deep as 2,300 feet and can expect higher emissions at these depths. 

3. Areas of greater coal thickness can expect higher emissions because 

of greater volumes of coal mined and more rib exposure. The irregular thickness and distribution of coal reflect the depositional environment of the 

original coal swamp. Want areas or "faults" represent erosion or nondeposition of carbonaceous material in the original swamp. The presence of wants 

disrupts mining, and may also hinder attempts to degasify the coal. 

Remaining coal, 

lo6 tons 

66 

56 

41 

6 

46 

19 

4. The structure of the Beckley coalbed in the study area is characterized by a gentle dip to the northwest with two gentle folds in the southwest. 

Water moving downdip through the coalbed hampers degasification both in mines 

and in drill holes. The irregular structure of the Beckley may inhibit 

attempts to degasify mines by horizontal drill holes. The nearness of the 

Beckley to the Allegheny Front contributed to the coal cleat orientation. The 

average cleat directions are N 33" W for the face cleat and N 53" E for the 

butt cleat. Mine entries and horizontal boreholes perpendicular to these 

Gas reserves, 

lo9 ft3 

34 

25 

21 

1 

23 

4 

directions can expect greater emission than those at an angle because they 
will intercept the greatest number of cleats. Water movement is also expected 

to be strongest in these directions. 

The average methane emission for mines in the study area is about 400 ft3 

per day per ton. Samples of the Reckley near the future Beckley-Lick Run mine 

zontain an average of 446 ft3 /ton of virgin coal as determined by the direct 

method. Using a Bureau correlation, this is the equivalent of 3,050 ft3 per 

day per ton of coal mined for a well-developed deep mine. Because the Beckley, 

Beckley No. 1, and Maple Meadow mines are not fully developed, methane emission per ton of coal will continue to increase as development is reached. 

In the study area the estimated coal reserves are 234 million tons, of 

which 209 million tons is in mines less than 3 years old. Because the average 

methane content of the Beckley is over 400 ft3 /ton, 108 billion ft3 of 

commercial -quality methane is still trapped in the Beckley coalbed. 

It is hoped that the techniques and results of this investigation can be 

used by geologists and mining engineers responsible for mining coal safely and 

quickly in the Beckley coalbed. 
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or transverse to bedding along which no appreciable movement has occurred. 

Slickenside. --A polished and sometimes striated surface on the walls of a 

vein, or on interior joints of the vein material or rock masses. Produced by 

rubbing during faulting, on the sides of fissures, or on bedding planes. 

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in which the coal has been washed away and its place filled with clay or sand. 

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