Underground Coal Mine Methane
 

Recovery and Use Opportunities
 

Methane is both the primary constituent of natural gas and a 

potent greenhouse gas when released to the atmosphere. 

Reducing emissions can yield substantial economic and environmental benefits. The implementation of available cost-effective 

methane emission reduction opportunities in the coal industry 

can lead to improved mine safety, greater mine productivity, and 

increased revenues. The Methane to Markets Partnership is 

building international alliances to promote methane recovery and 

use projects at underground coalmines throughout the world. 

BACKGROUND ON GLOBAL EMISSIONS 

Methane is produced from underground and surface 

mines, and as a result of post-mining activities including coal 

processing, storage, and transportation. Underground mines 

are the single largest source of coal mine methane (CMM) 

emissions in most countries. 

Globally, CMM accounts for 6 percent of total methane emissions resulting from human activities. In 2005, estimated worldwide CMM emissions totaled nearly 400 million metric tons of 

carbon dioxide equivalent (MMTCO2

E), or about 30 billion cubic 

meters (BCM). By 2020, the world’s coal mines are expected to 

produce annual emissions of 450 MMTCO2E (40 BCM). 

RECOVERY AND USE OPPORTUNITIES 

At active underground mines, methane must be removed from 

underground operations for safety reasons. This is done with 

large-scale ventilation systems that move massive quantities 

of air through the mines. These ventilation systems keep mines 

safe, but also release large amounts of methane at very low 

concentrations. At some active and abandoned mines, methane 

is also produced from degasification systems (also commonly 

referred to as gas drainage systems) that employ vertical and/or 

horizontal wells to recover methane. 

Figure 2: A gob well, used to extract CMM from 

post-mining collapsed coal seams. 

There are a variety of profitable uses for CMM, and the optimal 

use at a given location is dependent on factors such as the 

quality of methane, the availability of end-use options, and 

project economics. The range of CMM projects includes 

natural gas pipeline injection, electric power production, 

co-firing in boilers, district heating, mine heating, coal drying, 

vehicle fuel, flaring, and manufacturing/industrial uses such 

as feedstock for carbon black, methanol, and dimethyl ether 

production. For the very-low-concentration methane in mine 

ventilation air, technological development has progressed to 

the point that this CMM source can be oxidized and the 

resulting thermal energy can be used to produce heat, 

electricity, and refrigeration. 

Mexico (1%) 

Colombia (1%) 

Kazakhstan (2%) 

United Kingdom (2%) 

South Africa (2%) 

Germany (2%) 

Poland (3%) 

India (5%) 

Australia (6%) 

Russia (7%) North Korea (7%)

Ukraine (7%) 

United States

 (13%) 

China (34%) 

All Others (8%) 

Figure 1: Estimated Global CMM Emissions, 2005. 

Total = 388.14 MMTCO2E 

Source: Global Anthropogenic Emissions of Non-CO2 Greenhouse Gases 1990-2020 

(EPA Report 430-R-06-003) 

www.methanetomarkets.org 1 March 2008 

Recycled/Recyclable—Printed with vegetable oil based inks on 100% postconsumer, process chlorine free recycled paper. 
 

 

 

www.methanetomarkets.org 2 March 2008 

of emission reduction opportunities and the value of the 

recovered methane 

• Advance technology transfer to ensure the broad adoption of 

emission reduction technologies and management practices 

• Improve and facilitate access to capital to support project 

investment 

Project Case Study: 

Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group 

Shanxi Province, China 

The Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group, Inc., located in 

Shanxi Province, China, produces high-quality anthracite 

coal at several mines that generate substantial volumes of 

methane. In 1995, methane from seven CMM wells was used 

to fuel a power plant with a capacity of 1.6 megawatts (MW). 

In early 2002, the company increased the capacity to 4 MW 

by building a second CMM-generated power plant.Together, 

the power plants reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 

40,000 tons of carbon equivalent per year. 

Based on its success thus far, the Jincheng Group is developing a third CMM power plant, with 120 MW generating 

capacity and based on internal combustion engines, at the 

Sihe Mine.The project will utilize the latest technologies to 

boost CMM and coalbed methane production to fuel this 

power plant, which will generate electricity for use at the 

mine. In addition, the project will capture CMM from other 

mines for distribution to residential, commercial, and industrial consumers in the Jincheng area. By 2008, the project 

will use at least 166 million cubic meters of CMM per year to 

serve about 90,000 households and various commercial and 

industrial establishments in the area. About 410,000 people 

in Jincheng will directly benefit from the cleaner CMM-based 

energy, reducing indoor and atmospheric pollution.Together, 

the new power generation capacity and the planned natural 

gas distribution will avoid emissions of about 500 million 

cubic meters per year, or 40 MMTCO2E over 20 years. 

Electric generators operating on CMM: 

Jincheng Anthracite Mining Group, China. 

ISSUES FOR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT 

To develop successful projects, one must address a range of 

issues from project concept through installation and operation. 

Successful projects require a thorough methane resource assessment and gas liberation analysis, effective integration of mine 

degasification and utilization with mining operations, and a ready 

market for the methane. Although there has been substantial 

progress in implementing CMM projects in recent years, project 

developers face a range of technical, economic, and institutional 

issues that impede further progress. Important issues include: 

•	 Recognizing that methane is a commodity with a practical and 

profitable use rather than a nuisance and a safety hazard 

•	 Ensuring that coal mines and project developers have access 

to modern methane drainage and use appropriate technologies and training to make use of this valuable resource 

•	 Establishing an appropriate mechanism for the collection and 

dissemination of credible and unbiased data, including technical and market information 

•	 Clarifying the laws, regulations, and policies that govern
 

CMM capture and use and addressing any deficiencies or
 

limitations
 

•	 Providing access to capital markets 

Figure 3: CMM as vehicle fuel, Ukraine. 

The Methane to Markets Partnership brings the collective 

resources and experience of partners together to facilitate 

technology transfer and demonstration, policy support, 

capacity building and market development necessary to 

realize implementation of these projects, and further reductions 

in CMM emissions. By focusing international expertise and 

resources, the Partnership will work to: 

•	 Engage all facets of the coal industry to improve awareness 

•	 Cooperate with country partners to improve markets and 

provide legal and regulatory frameworks that encourage 

project development 

For years, methane in coal mines was viewed as a nuisance 

and a safety hazard that had little intrinsic value. Recent 

projects have shown that the opposite is true: CMM is an 

energy product and a commodity that, when captured, can 

provide many benefits to the mine; the local, regional, and 

national communities; and the global environment. 

Printing was provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in its capacity as the Administrative Support Group for the Methane to Markets Partnership.