Coalbed-methane production in the Appalachian basin
Coalbed methane (CBM) occurs in coal beds of Mississippian and Pennsylvanian (Carboniferous) age in the northern, central, and southern Appalachian basin coal regions, which extend almost continuously from Pennsylvania southward to Alabama. Most commercial CBM production in the Appalachian basin is from three structural subbasins: (1) the Dunkard basin in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and northern West Virginia; (2) the Pocahontas basin in southern West Virginia, eastern Kentucky, and southwestern Virginia; and (3) part of the Black Warrior basin in Alabama. The cumulative CBM production in the Dunkard basin through 2005 was 17 billion cubic feet (BCF), the production in the Pocahontas basin through 2006 was 754 BCF, and the production in the part of the Black Warrior basin in Alabama through 2007 was 2.008 TCF.
CBM development may be regarded as mature in Alabama, where annual production from 1998 through 2007 was relatively constant and ranged from 112 to 121 BCF. An opportunity still exists for additional growth in the Pocahontas basin. In 2005, annual CBM production in the Pocahontas basin in Virginia and West Virginia was 85 BCF. In addition, opportunities are emerging for producing the large, diffuse CBM resources in the Dunkard basin as additional wells are drilled and technology improves.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2014 |
|---|---|
| Title | Coalbed-methane production in the Appalachian basin |
| DOI | 10.3133/pp1708G.2 |
| Authors | Robert C. Milici, Désirée E. Polyak |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Professional Paper |
| Series Number | 1708 |
| Index ID | pp1708G.2 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Eastern Energy Resources Science Center |