While the price of oil may be beginning to climb up a bit these days, we hope it has at least seen the bottom. The devastating effect of oil prices on cities, companies and workers cannot be overstated. The energy industry needs some good news. And they may found it. Coal bed methane (CBM) is a clean and renewable energy source that most people have never heard of. But CBM is making many energy industry officials hopeful again, at least the ones who know about the relatively new technology.
Since inception of the niche industry in early 1990s, CBM production has steadily grown as a clean alternative to traditional coal and oil exploration and production. Coal bed methane, named because methane is literally absorbed into the veins of coal blocks without the presence of hydrogen sulfide, is a natural gas game-changer that has largely gone unnoticed. North America and Australia’s demand for sustainable energy, however, has propelled CBM’s expansion. But the fastest growing region for this new form of cleaner energy is in Asia. CBM’s growth is estimated to be nearly $17 billion worldwide by 2020.
According to ResearchGate, conventional natural gas production has almost been depleted. And in 2014, North American coal production slightly reversed a trend from 2013 where coal production had been on a decline. China, however, has increased its coal production to half of the world’s total, despite having had a 3 percent decrease in production last year. But with the legislative and political attacks on coal growing in the United States and other western countries, alternative forms of energy production that are cleaner than coal are still needed.
In the midst of the world’s energy instability, Coal bed methane production provides an easy solution to the demand by some for clean energy solutions and is therefore growing rapidly around the world. CBM can be extracted without the need for fracking and using any harmful chemicals during the drilling and production phased. When produced in this manner, it is environmentally accretive and provides for clean water to be produced, which is an increasing scarce commodity, followed by sustainable methane without any by-products that need to be disposed. It may be the cleanest source of energy.
Coal bed methane technology benefited early on by being exempt from U.S. federal price controls in the 1970s and gained a further boost when U.S. federal tax credits were later created for CBM producers. Since then, the consistent growth in the U.S. has been largely fueled by producers in Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. While the United States still has room for CBM production growth, its global market is just getting started.
For instance, CBM production has been growing steadily in Canada, despite a debate as to whether or not CBM can technically be called a renewable energy. Proponents argue that the bacteria creating the gas is ongoing and therefore renewing itself. Opponents contend that since the bacteria can be slowed by adding water, it isn’t technically renewable. Regardless of the details of how to label the production of CBM, there is no denying it’s cleaner and a more untapped resource. Production is increasing in Australia, the U.K., Kazakhstan, India and especially in China. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/21/coal-bed-methane-good-news-for-the-energy-industry/
Interesting, I did not realize that China alone uses half the world's coal.
I view this article with some skepticism as some of its statements are misleading, such as
CBM can be extracted without the need for fracking and using any harmful chemicals during the drilling and production phased. Most of the CBM I have been around do indeed require fraccing. and the wells produce prodigious amounts of formation water to extract the gas, which must be disposed of somewhere.
And 'renewable energy'? If coalgas is, then oil and gas certainly is.
In any event, the article tries to gin up an environmental argument for use of CBM. I think only if one compares it to solid coal.
I think unconventional gas like shale gas is far preferable. And there is a lot more of it.
