Cougar Energy says it has reached an agreement with the State Government over the company’s underground coal gasification (UCG) project in the South Burnett region of south-east Queensland. The company’s UCG plant at Kingaroy remains shut despite Government tests clearing the project of contaminating bores. The State Government says Cougar also has not provided all the information required for an environmental assessment of the project. However, Cougar Energy managing director Dr Len Walker says talks held with government officials on Friday have resolved the issue. “We had proposed to install four new monitoring bores within the pilot plant area and we will be going ahead with those as quickly as we can,” he said. “The department was requesting more information in relation to the installation of the new bores and in particular measures we’d taken of mitigating any risk of the same problem occurring as it occurred with our first production wells.”
Additional monitoring wells key to restarting Cougar’s Kingaroy UCG Project
The Mausoleum of Genghis Khan
A well deserved day off, and a visit to the Mausoleum of Genghis Khan located along a river in Kandehuo Enclosure, near Ordos.
Site Visit, Inner Mongolia
On site verification; it is inferred that there is more than 200 million tonnes of coal below this plain. The depth, coal seam thickness and the flat un-fractured landscape makes this an ideal UCG prospect.
Neighboring Coal Mine
Well there is definitely coal in the neighbourhood. This open cast coalmine that is local to our first Underground Coal Gasification project in Inner Mongolia produces more then 10 million tonnes of long flame or steaming coal per year. If the translation is correct, then I understand that they intend to scale it up to produce 60 million tonnes per year.
The Sound of the Grasslands, Inner Mongolia, China
After dinner, everyone from the head of coal downwards sang beautiful traditional songs from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. I was left wondering if singing lessons rather than Mandarin lessons would be a better way to build on our local friendships.
UCG could save the lives of thousands of Chinese coal miners
China’s coal mining industry saw another disaster today when an mine explosion in the central province of Henan killed 46 miners on the spot. The mine, located in one of China’s biggest coal producing regions, was allegedly operating illegally, according to the government-run Xinhua news agency. In 2008, 3,215 people were killed in China’s coal mines; by 2009, the number dropped to 2,631 (Read More).
Whilst safety is improving albeit at a slow pace, underground coal gasification (UCG) offers a quantum leap in the reduction of deaths within the coal industry. UCG is a process of extracting the energy value from coal without mining it – instead the coal is gasified in situ at high temperature and then extracted as a hydrogen and methane rich gas known as synthesis gas or syngas - all of the operations take place on the surface, and no miners are sent underground.
Jade Clean Technology and Energy is working with our partners to comercialise UCG technology in China and details can be found on our company website www.jadecleantech.com
Completion of desktop review to assess suitability for UCG
Our initial assessment is very positive. This gigantic 2.2 billion tonne coal resource has 17 coal seams, of which, the thickest seam is an astonishing ~16 meters. This is quite definitely a UCG prospect and we are excited to commence planning our UCG feasibility study.
Commence desktop review to assess suitability for UCG
Today, we commence our desktop review of a coal resource in Inner Mongolia to assess its suitability for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG). This is our first step of our process, and if the result is positive we will commence a detailed UCG feasibility study. From the mining reports in the data room, we hope to assess if the coal reserve meets our principle criteria:
- Depth of coal seam > 150m
- Coal seam thickness >4m
- Un-fractured coal seams
- Below water table
- Away from habitation
Off to Urumqi in Jin Jiang today to review some more UCG opportunities
Jin Jiang is famed for its pristine environment and production of high quality fruits, vegetables and sheep. Below the landscape resides huge reserves of coal and coal bed methane (CBM), as well as some natural gas and oil. There is a rush to exploit these assets and our recommendation is to embrace underground coal gasification technology to extract the energy value from the coal in-situ without mining it. It is safer, more cost effective, incurs significantly less surface and environmental pollution, as well as lowers emissions of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides and sulphur oxides. A no brainer you would think.
It is cold (-20 Celsius) and our tour is taking us around a series of mines that have been closed down by the government because they are failing to meet best safety practice and have been mandated for redevelopment. We are attempting to argue that the mineshafts should remain closed and we will redevelop them as UCG companies. Not an easy sell.
What is underground coal gasification or UCG ?
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) is a process of extracting the energy value from coal without mining it – instead the coal is gasified in-situ at high temperature and then extracted as a hydrogen and methane rich gas known as synthesis gas or syngas.
UCG Potential in Kyrgyzstan
Whilst the coal quality and seam depth meets the parameters for underground coal gasification, the undulating landscape and fractured coal seams are making it hard to identify a location for a UCG pilot.
Kyrgyzstan’s Mothballed Coal Industry
Min-Kush was home to Kyrgyzstan’s coal industry during the soviet era, and Russian engineers undertook detailed geological exploration of the coal resources and developed a mining industry. However, this was mothballed when Kyrgyzstan became independent of the Soviet Union. Today, efforts are being made to reopen the mines but output is barely above artisan levels.
Kyrgyzstan’s Pristine Environment
Kyrgyzstan is a scenic country in the foothills of the Himalayas that is cold and snowy in winter and hot summer. The summer sun melts the ice and provides the energy for an organic and fertile agricultural economy that produces grains, and grasses for sheep and goat grazing. Historically it was part of Genghis Khan’s Mongolian empire, and today the farmers continue a nomadic lifestyle living in yurts.
Clean Energy in Kyrgystan
Kyrgyzstan is currently suffering an energy shortage and has become a net importer of fuels. This is exacerbated by a falling water table (due to global warming/climate change) and poorly maintained Russian hydro plants, which is resulting in reduced output of electricity. The country is looking environmentally-backwards to their huge proven coal reserves, which is at odds with their pride for their pristine Himalayan environment. Our challenge is to see if we can provide innovative underground coal gasification technology to enable them to exploit their coal without damaging the landscape, and minimize emissions, particularly carbon dioxide.
Winter Festival Brightens up Coal Mining Town
It is cold in Shanxi during winter, but it is brightened up by all of the winter festival statues and bunting.
Investigation of coal resources for UCG in Shanxi
We are continuing our tour of Shanxi province in China seeking coal reserves that are prospects for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG). Today, we visited a proven reserve near Linfen in the heart of the Chinese coal industry that meets out primary criteria.
