United States Air and EPA/400/1-91/032 Environmental Protection Radiation August 1991 Agency (ANR-445) Assessment of the Potential for Economic Development and Utilization of Coalbed Methane in Poland
@ Printed on Recycled Paper
ASSESSMENT OF THE POTENTIAL FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION OF COALBED METHANE IN POLAND
Prepared By:
Raymond C. Pilcher - Raven Ridge Resources, lncorporated Carol J. Bibler - Raven Ridge Resources, lncorporated Roger Glickert - Energy Systems Associates Lawrence Machesky - Raven Ridge Resources, lncorporated James M. Williams - Planning Information Corporation
Dina W. Kruger - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Samuel Schweitzer - U.S. Agency for International Development
August 199 1
SUMMARY
INTRODUCTION
This report presents an assessment of Poland's coalbed methane resources commissioned by the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of Energy (AID) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The study evaluates the potential for coalbed methane development to help Poland achieve its environmental and energy needs.
The study assesses the coalbed methane resources of both virgin (yet minable) coal seams and ongoing mining operations, but focuses on coalbed methane recovery from the latter. Methane recovery in coal mining areas is emphasized because failure to utilize methane liberated as a result of mine operations represents the loss of a valuable energy resource, and because methane is a greenhouse gas affecting the global climate.
KEY FINDINGS
Economic problems will worsen as domestic energy production continues to decline and the demand for imported energy continues to increase. A new source of domestic energy would reduce economic burdens.
-- Coal dominates Poland's fuel mix, but hard coal production is declining as shallower reserves are depleted. Annual coal produciion has declined by more than 25 percent since 1988. In addition to reducing available domestic energy, this decline means less hard coal is available for export, and hard coal exports account for about eight percent of Poland's hard currency for use in foreign exchange.
-- The lack of sufficient domestic oil resources forces Poland to import about 99 percent of the oil it consumes. Rising imported oil costs create serious strains for the Polish economy and balance of trade.
-- Given the situation confronting coal and oil supplies, it is likely that natural gas will significantly contribute to Poland's future energy mix. Conventional domestic gas reserves are insufficient to meet substantial increases in demand. Poland already imports about 60 percent of its natural gas from the USSR; not only is price of this gas rising sharply, but the source is unreliable.
-- The Polish government plans to close all but four coke oven plants as well as its uneconomic coal mines, by the year 2000. While this move is necessary for environmental and economic reasons, it will sharply reduce available domestic energy. In particular, the closure of coke oven plants will reduce the production of coke oven gas, about half of which (3.5 billion cubic meters in 1989) is used by households and industries. Coalbed methane produced by mines could readily replace coke oven gas, alleviating the shortage.
-- Considering the status of the energy economy as described above, Poland would benefit from development of a "new" domestic natural gas resource: coalbed methane. 0. Coalbed methane is an abundant domestic natural gas resource that is currently underdeveloped in Poland. In particular, coal mining operations waste a tremendous amount of this methane.
-- The coalbed methane reserves contained in active mine concessions in Poland are estimated at 380 billion cubic meters. This estimate is conservative in that it does not include methane in coal seams deeper than 1000 meters; yet it is still more than twice the size of Poland's conventional natural gas reserves. The total coalbed methane resource associated with all coal mine concessions is estimated to exceed 1.3 trillion cubic meters. This is also a conservative figure, in that it does not include methane in coal bearing intervals deeper than 1500 meters, nor methane in the Lublin Coal Basin.
-- Large amounts of coalbed methane are liberated by Polish coal mines each year, which represents a serious waste of energy. It is estimated that 4.8 billion cubic meters of coalbed methane are liberated annually as a result of mining operations in Poland, and that only 200 million cubic meters (four percent) of this gas are used.
There is great potential for expanded methane recovery and use at coal mines, and many different options are available for using the coalbed methane recovered from mining operations.
-- An integrated approach to methane recovery includes drainage of methane prior to, during, and after mining. If such an approach were used within Poland's mining concessions, up to 80 to 90 percent of methane liberated by mining activities could be recovered and utilized.
-- Coalbed methane could be used to generate steam and electricity, displacing the use of hard coal and lignite. Not only would this reduce the waste of coalbed methane, it would reduce air pollution in communities that surround the electrical generation facilities and mines, and improve the economic viability of hard coal mining operations.
- Coalbed methane can be transported by pipelines directly to end users. One attractive possibility is to use methane from Poland's coal mines to replace coke oven gas currently used by households and industries.
-- There may also be opportunities for using the low-concentration methane contained in mine ventilation air. At some mines, it may be possible to economically transport this airlmethane mixture to nearby power plants for use as combustion air.
Aggressive development of coalbed methane could make important contributions to Poland's economy and environment, as well as benefiting the global environment.
-- It is likely that Poland will continue to reduce coal and coke oven gas production in order to mitigate its life-threatening environmental problems. While this will provide welcome reductions in pollutants, it will require a much larger expenditure for imported energy. Aggressive utilization of coalbed methane will permit Poland to achieve its environmental goals with far lower expenditures for imported natural gas. -- Preliminary economic estimates suggest that if coalbed methane is aggressively developed, by the year 2000 Poland could spend 22 percent less on imported natural gas than it would if coalbed methane is not developed. Not only would Poland save money, but a domestic energy source is likely to be more reliable. If coalbed methane is aggressively developed, methane emissions from coal mining in Poland could decrease dramatically, perhaps by as much as 80 percent. In addition, recovery of this methane would improve mine safety, efficiency, productivity, and profitability. When advanced degasification techniques are used, less capital is required for installation and maintenance of mine ventilation systems. Methane concentrations in the mines are also reduced, which lowers the risk of injury and death to miners resulting from methane explosions.
Since methane is a greenhouse gas, estimated to be 20 times more potent that CO, on a weight basis, this reduction in emissions would make a significant contribution to mitigation of the greenhouse effect.
An aggressive program of coalbed methane development should be pursued in Poland in order to help the nation achieve its economic and environmental objectives.
-- At mining operations, an integrated approach to methane recovery should be evaluated and, where possible, a staged approach to methane recovery should be implemented.
-- The many options for using methane recovered from coal mining should be carefully evaluated at Poland's coal mines to ensure that efficient uses of recovered gas are developed.
The rapid development of coalbed methane will require a concerted effort from the Polish government. International development agencies, foreign governments, and private industry should work together to help the government of Poland in this endeavor.
-- The Polish government should give priority to coalbed methane development in its energy industry restructuring program, perhaps incorporating tax incentives and similar programs.
-- To address information needs, a coalbed methane clearinghouse should be established, which will disseminate information within Poland about coalbed methane resources, development and use.
-- Training should be provided to representatives of government agencies and mines to raise awareness of coalbed methane and the techniques for developing it. This training should include technical, economic, and regulatory components.
-- To prepare Poland for large-scale investment in its coalbed methane resource and to assist in the effective reorganization of its mining industry, a mine screening study should be undertaken. This study will evaluate site-specific conditions at several mines in a preliminary manner and identify the best candidates for methane recovery and use at these sites.
-- To address water disposal issues that may arise in the large-scale development of Poland's coalbed methane resource, an assessment of disposal options should be undertaken, including an investigation of underground injection. This study would also have important implications for the disposal of water produced by coal mining.
In order to fully assess the economic and social impacts that could result from increased utilization of coalbed methane, an energy economy database should be compiled. An economic model could then be used to analyze the impact of coalbed methane use on regional economies. The model should be sufficiently comprehensive to assess the economics of coalbed methane production, transportation, and use, and include an estimation of coalbed methane economic values that can be directly compared with the hard currency prices of imported fuels, particularly imported natural gas. A U.S.-to-Poland coalbed methane trade mission should be conducted, based on market opportunities identified as a result of the economic assessment and mine screening study recommended above.
Finally, opportunities to cost effectively reduce methane emissions from coal mining should be addressed in future Polish environmental assessments, with consideration given to the benefits of such activities on both global climate (through lower CO, and methane emissions) and the local environment (through lower SO,, NO,, and particulate emissions). STRESZCZENIE
Niniejsze sprawozdanie stanowi oszacowanie rezerw polskiego metanu w poktadach wqgla, zlecone przez Amerykanskq Agencje dla Miedzynarodowego Biura Rozwoju Energii (AID) i przez Amerykanskq Agencjq Ochrony Srodowiska (EPA). Opracowanie to analizuje moiliwoSci odzyskiwania metanu z pokiaddw wqgla w celu pomocy Polsce w zaspokojeniu jej potrzeb energetycznych oraz w ochronie 8rodowiska.
Obecne opracowanie zawiera oszacowanie rezerw metanu zardwno w nienaruszonych pokladach wqgla, (ale nadajqcych siq do eksploatcji), jak tei w pokladach, bqdqcych w exploatacji. Jednakie gldwny nacisk jest potoiony na odzyskiwanie metanu z obecnie eksploatowanych pokladdw wqgla. Odzyskiwanie rnetanu w kopalniach wqglowych jest watne, gdyi jego ulatnianie siq w czasie prac g6rniczych jest jednoznaczne z utratq wartoSciowego frddla energii, a takie ze wzglqdu na ujemny wplyw metanu koncentrujqcego siq w atmosferze na Swiatowe zmiany klimatyczne (efekt cieplarniany).
a Obnifka krajowej produkcji energii spowoduje pogorszenie problemdw ekonomicznych i zapotrzebowanie na import surowcdw energetycznych bedzie wzrastaC. Nowe f rddta krajowej energii przyczyniq siq do pomniejszenia kryzysu energetycznego.
Wqgiel dominuje w Polsce jako baza paliwowa, jednakfe produkcja wqgla kamiennego obniza siq wraz z wyczerpywaniern siq ptytkich pokladbw. Roczna produkcja wqgla od 1988 roku spadla wiecej nii 25 procent. Obniika produkcji oznacza nie tylko obniianie siq krajowego surowca energetycznego, ale takie zmniejszenie iloSci wegla karniennego na export, ktdry stanowi okolo osiem procent polskibj twardej waluty do uiytku na wymianq zagranicznq.
- Brak krajowych zasobdw ropy naftowej zmusza Polskq do importowania 99 procent - zapotrzebowania na jej uiycie. Wzrost kosztdw importu ropy naftowej stanowi powaine zagroienie dla Polskiej ekonomii oraz dla balansu wymiany zagranicznej.
- W zwiazku z powyiszq sytuacjq, zaopatrzenie w wqgiel, rope naftowq i gaz naturalny bqdzie znaczqco partycypowato w przyszlej bazie paliwowej. Konwencjonalne krajowe zasoby gazu naturalnego nie sq wystarczqjace do zaspokojenie wzrastajqcego zapotrzebowania. Obecnie Polska importuje okoto 60 procent gazu naturalnego z ZSRR. Ceny tego gazu wzrastaja raptownie, a takze frbdlo dostaw nie jest pewne.
Do roku 2000 Rzad Polski planuje zamkniqcie nieekonomicznych kopalfi wqgla oraz wiekszoSC fabryk koksu, pozostawiajqc czynne tylko cztery koksownie. Krok ten jest konieczny z przyczyn ekonorniczych oraz ochrony Srodowiska, ale zredukuje to powatnie dostqpne krajowe zasoby energetyczne. Szczegdlnie zamkniqcie fabryk koksu zredukuje produkcjq gazu piecowego, kt6rego okolo polowa (3.5 biliondw metrdw kubicznych w roku 1989) jest uiywana do celdw domowych i przemystowych. Metan z poktadow wggla, produkowany przez kopalnie, moie skutecznie zastqpiC gaz z piecdw koksowniczych, niwelujqc braki zaopatrzenia.
- Biorqc pod uwage opisany powyiej stan ekonomii energetycznej, Polska moie zyskaC z wprowadzenia metanu uzyskanego z poktadow wggla jako z "nowego" krajowego zrddta gazu. o Metan w pokladach wqgla jest obfitym krajowym fr6dlem gazu naturalnego, kt6ry jest obecnie w Polsce niewykorzystywany, a przeciwnie, olbrzymie jego ilosci sq marnowane w czasie prac gbrniczych.
Zasoby gazu zawarte w pokladach eksploatowanych gdrniczo w Polsce sq szacowane na 380 biliondw metrdw szesciennych. Te przewidywane zasoby sq wyliczone konserwatywnie i nie obejmujq pokladdw wggla, zalegajqcych poniiej 1000 metrdw. Mimo to iloSC ta jest ponad dwukrotnie wiqksza nii krajowe konwencjonalne zasoby gazu. Calkowite zasoby metanu w kopalnianych poktadach wggla przewyfszqja 1.3 tryliony metrdw kubicznych. Takie i ta iloSC jest ustalona konserwatywnie i nie dotyczy metanu w poktadach, zalegajqcych poniiej 1500 metrdw oraz metanu w Lubelskim Zaglqbiu Wqglowym.
Wiqlkie iloSci metanu w poktadach wqgla sq uwalniane kaidego roku z Polskich kopalrl wggla, co stanowi powaine marnotrawstwo energii. Szacuje siq, ie 4.8 biliondw metrdw kubicznych metanu z pokladdw wqgla jest uwalniane rocznie w Polsce w wyniku operacji gdrniczych. Tylko 200 milionow metrdw kubicznych (cztery procent) 'tego gazu jest wykorzystywane.
Istniejq wielkie moiliwoSci powiqkszenia odzyskiwania i uiytkowania metanu w kopalniach. Jest wiele rdinych moiliwoSci wykorzystywania metanu z pokladow wqgla odzyskanego z operacji gbrniczych.
- Catkowite odzyskiwanie metanu polega na oddzielaniu metanu przed, w czasie i po exploatacji wqgla. Gdyby takie przedsiqwziqcie zostato zastosowane, 80 do 90 procent metanu, uwalnianego w wyniku operacji g6rniczych1 rnogtoby byC odzyskane i wykorzystane.
Metan z poklad6w wqgla moie byC uiyty do wytwarzania pary i prqdu elektrycznego, zastepujqc uiycie wqgla kamiennego i lignitu. Przy tym odzyskiwanie metanu nie tylko zredukowaloby marnowanie gazu, ale takie przyczyniioby sig do zmniejszenia zanieczyszczania powietrza w rejonach sqsiadujqcych z kopalniami igeneratorami prqdu elektrycznego, a takie poprawitoby ekonomiq gdrniczych operacji wqgla kamiennego.
- Metan z poktaddw wqgla mote byC transportowany rurami wprost do uzytkownikdw. Atrakcyjnq moiliwoSciqjest zastqpienie metanem gazu z piecdw koksowniczych, ktdry obecnie jest uiytkowany do cel6w domowych i przemystowych.
- Jest takie moiliwym uiycie niskiej zawartoSci metanu zawartego w kopalnianym powietrzu wentylacyjnym. W niektdrych kopalniach jest moiliwy ekonomiczny transport mieszaniny powietrza z metanem z kopalni do elektrowni, w celu uzycia jej jako wzbogaconego powietrza do spalania. Agresywny rozwdj metanu z pokladdw wqglowych moie powainie polepszyC Polskq ekonomiq i ochronq Srodowiska, a takie wplynqc dobroczynnie na Swiatowq ochronq brodowiska.
Wydaje siq prawdopodobnym, ie Polska bqdzie kontynuowat redukcjq produkcji koksowego i wqglowego gazu piecowego w celu wyeiiminowania problemdw zwiqzanych z zagraiajacym iyciu, powainym zatruciem Srodowiska. Wprawdzie przyniesie to oczekiwane zmniejszenie zatrucia Srodowiska, lecz jednoczeSnie bqdzie wymagaC wzrostu zuiycia importowanej energii. Agresywne wykonystywanie metanu z pokladow wqgla pozwoli Polsce osiqgnqC zamierzone ceie w dziedzinie ochrony Srodowiska przy znacznie mniejszych wydatkach na import gazu.
Wstepne oszacowania ekonomiczne sugerujq, ieo ile metan z pokladdw wqgla bqdzie agresywnie wykorzystywany, to do roku 2000 Polska wyda o 22 procent mniej na import gazu naturalnego nit w przypadku niewykorzystywania metanu. W ten sposdb Polska nie tylko zaoszczqdzi pieniqdze, ale take bedzie polegaC na znacznie pewniejszych krajowych fr6dlach energii.
0 ile rozwdj metanu bqdzie agresywny, jego emisja z gornictwa weglowego moie siq zmniejszyC szalenie, moiliwe ie ai o 80 procent. W dodatku odzyskiwanie metanu poprawi bezpieczenstwo gbrnicze, a take przyczyni siq do zwiqkszenia efektywnogci, wielkosci produkcji i rentownogci kopalh. JeSli nowoczesna technika odgazowywania bqdzie zastosowana, mniej kapitalu bqdzie potrzebne na instalacje i utrzymanie systemu wentylacji. Obniienie koncentracji metanu w kopalaniach zmniejszy ryzyko poranienia lub utraty iycia przez g6rnikow z powodu eksplozji metanu.
- Skoro wplyw metanu na tak zwany efekt cieplarniany w atmosferze jest uwaiany za 20 procent gorszy nii dwutlenku wqgla, na podstawie wagi, redukcja jego ulatniania siq do atmosfery moie mieC powainy przyczynek do zmniejszenia tego efektu cieplarnianego.
ZALECENIA
Agresywny program odzyskiwania metanu z pokladdw we&5wychpowinien by6 wprowadzony w Polsce w celu pomocy krajowi osiagniqcia celdw ekonomicznych oraz ochrony brodowiska.
Calkowite odzyskiwanie metanu powinno byC brane pod uwagg pny operacjach g6rniczych i gdzie tylko moiliwe, stopniowe proby odzyskiwania metanu powinny byt wdraiane.
- Wiele r6inych sposobdw uiytkowania metanu z pokladbw wgglowych powinno byd analizowane w polskich kopalniach aby zapewniC efektywne uiytkowanie odzyskanego gazu.
Szybki rozw6j metanu z poklad6w wqgla bqdzie wymagal wspdlpracy i poparcia ze strony Polskiego Rzqdu. Miqdzynarodowe firmy rozwojowe, rzqdy zagraniczne i pnemysl prywatny powinny wspdlpracowac aby dopomdc Rzqdowi Polskiemu w tym przqdsiqwzieciu.
Rzqd Polski powinien zapewnid pierwszettstwo rozwojowi odzyskiwania metanu z poklad6w wggla w jego programie rekonstrukcji przemyslu energetycznego, przez wprowadzenie zachqcqjacej polityki podatkowej lub podobnych program6w.
- Dla zaspokojenia potrzeb informacyjnych o metanie z pokladbw wqgla powiniefi byt zorganizowany oSrodek informacyjny o jego zasobach, sposobach odzyskiwania, rozwoju i uiytkowania.
Przeszkolenie powinno by6 zorganizowane dla przedstawicieli rzqdowych agencji i kopalrl, aby wzbudzit zainteresowanie metanem z poklad6w wggla i technikq jego odzyskiwania. Szkolenie powinno obejmowaC elementy techniczne, ekonomiczne i prawno-regulacyjne.
Analiza wyselekcjonowanych kopalrl powinna byd przeprowadzona w celu przygotowania Polski do dlugoterminowych investycji odzyskiwania metanu z poklad6w wqgla oraz w celu reorganizacji kopalnictwa wqgla. Wstqpna analiza powinna obejmowaC specyficzne lokalne warunki na wielu kopalniach w celu wyselekcjonowania najlepszych miejsc i ustalenia najlepszych metod odzyskiwania i wykorzystywanh metanu. - W zwiqzku z propozycjq odzyskiwania metanu na wielkq skalq powinno by6 pnestudiowane oszacowanie moiliwoSci skladowania zuiytej wody, z uwzglednieniem sktadowania podziemnego. Analiza ta moie mieC tei implikacje na skladownie wody produkowanej przez g6rnictwo wqglowe.
Aby w pelni oszacowaC spoleczne i ekonomiczne wpiywy, wynikajqce ze wzrostu uiytkowania metanu z pokladdw wqgla, powinno by6 zorganizowane dokumentowanie i skladowanie danych odnoSnie ekonomii energetycznej. Dane te mogq sluiyc do opracowania modelu ekonomicznego, ktdry moie by6 uiyty do analizy wplywdw uiytkowania metanu z pokladow wqgla na regionalna ekonomie. Model ten pownien take zapewniC moiliwoSci okreSlenia ekonomii produkcji metanu z pokladdw wqgla, jego transportu i uiytkowania, wtacznie z rnoiliwoSciami oszacowania wartoSci ekonomicznych metanu z poktaddw wqgla, co mogtoby by6 pordwnane z cenami w twardej walucie importowanych paliw, a w szczeg6lnoSci importownego gazu naturalnego.
- Powinna bye zatoiona Polsko-Amerykanska misja handlowa do spraw odzysku metanu z pokladdw wqgla. Wspdlpraca powinna by6 oparta na moiliwoSciach rynkowych, oznaczonych w wyniku analizy ekonomicznej i rozeznaniu warunk6w kopalnianych, zalecanych powyiej.
- Na zakohczenie, moiliwoSci efektownej redukcji kosztdw emisji rnetanu z g6rnictwa wqglowego powinny byC uwzglqdnione w planach ochrony Srodowiska w Polsce, z podkregleniern korzySci zar6wno na globalne zmiany klirnatyczne (popnez obniienie emisji dwutlenku wqgla i metanu), jak tei na lokalne warunki Srodowiskowe (popnez obniienie emisji dwutlenku siarki i azotu oraz czqstek stalych). TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY ...... i RECOMMENDATIONS ...... iv STRESZCZENIE ...... vii ZALECNIA ...... xi LISTOFFIGURES ...... xv LISTOFTABLES ...... xvi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... xvii CHAPTER 1 .COALBED METHANE IN POLAND'S ENERGY ECONOMY ...... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 1 1.2 THEENERGYSECTORINPOLAND ...... 1 1.2.1 OVERVIEW ...... 1 1.2.2 PRIMARY ENERGY SOURCES IN POLAND ...... 4 1.2.3 THE NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY ...... 9 1.2.4 THE ROLE OF COALBED METHANE ...... 10
CHAPTER 2 .COALBED METHANE RESOURCES OF POLAND ...... 11 2.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 11 2.2 COALRESOURCES ...... 11 2.2.1 THE UPPER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN ...... 11 2.2.2 THE LOWER SlLESlAN CO-AL BASIN ...... 21 2.2.3 THE LUBLIN COAL BASIN ...... 26 2.3 COALBED METHANE RESOURCES OF POLAND ...... 30 2.3.1 MINING EMISSIONS ...... 30 2.3.2 COALBED METHANE RESOURCE CHARACTERIZATION ...... 33 CHAPTER 3 . COALBED METHANE RECOVERY AND POTENTIAL FOR UTILIZATION OF COALBEDMETHANEINPOLAND ...... 35 3.1 COALBED METHANE RECOVERY ...... 35 3.1.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 35 3.1.2 OPTIONS FOR RECOVERY ...... 36 3.1.3 CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING RECOVERY METHODS ...... 37 3.2 COALBED METHANE UTILIZATION ...... 38 3.2.1 GAS QUALITY AND UTILIZATION OPTIONS ...... 38 3.2.2 POWER APPLICATIONS ...... 39 3.2.3 DIRECTUSES ...... 45 3.3 REGIONAL UTILIZATION OPTIONS ...... 48 3.3.1 UPPER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN ...... 48 3.3.2 LOWER SILESIAN COAL BASIN ...... 50 CHAPTER 4 .THE ROLE OF COALBED METHANE IN POLAND'S ECONOMY ...... 51 4.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 51 4.2 POLAND'S ENERGY ECONOMY PROFILE FROM 1988 TO THE PRESENT ..... 51 4.2.1 THE NATIONAL ENERGY ECONOMY ...... 51 4.2.2 THE UPPER SlLESlA (KATOWICE) REGIONAL ECONOMY ...... 53 4.2.3 THE LOWER SILESIA (WALBRZYCH) REGIONAL ECONOMY ...... 54
(Continued)
xiii 4.3 POLAND'S ENERGY FUTURE ...... 54 4.3.1 THE REGIONAL ASSESSMENT MODEL ...... 54 4.3.2 ANALYSIS OF THE REGIONAL ASSESSMENT MODEL ...... 56 4.3.3 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...... 60 CHAPTER 5 .CASE STUDIES ...... 63 5.1 INTRODUCTION ...... 63 5.2 VICTORIA MINE CASE STUDY ...... 63 5.2.1 PRESENT CONDITIONS ...... 63 5.2.2 PROJECTTYPES ...... 66 5.3 BRZESZCZE MINE CASE STUDY ...... 68 5.3.1 PRESENT CONDITIONS ...... 68 5.3.2 PROJECTTYPES ...... 69 5.4 HALEMBA MINE CASE STUDY ...... 73 5.4.1 PRESENT CONDITIONS ...... 73 5.4.2 PROJECT TYPES ...... 74 CHAPTER 6 .RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER ACTION ...... 77 6.1 FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES ...... 77 6.1.1 COALBED METHANE CLEARINGHOUSE ...... 77 6.1.2 TRAINING ...... 78 6.1.3 MINE SCREENING STUDY ...... 78 6.1.4 WATER DISPOSAL EVALUATION ...... 78 6.2 POLISH GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES ...... 79 REFERENCESCITED ...... 81
APPENDIX A .POLAND'S COAL RESOURCES ...... A-1
APPENDIX B .ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS ...... B-1
APPENDIX C .METHANE RESERVE ESTIMATION METHODOLOGY AND USE OF KRlGlNG ... C-1
xiv LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 . Primary Fuel Mix of Selected Countries. 1988 ...... 2 Figure 2 . Energy Demand by Sector. Poland. 1988 ...... 3 Figure 3 . Household and Commercial Sector Energy Sources. Poland. 1988 ...... 3 Figure 4 . Industrial Sector Energy Sources. Poland. 1988 ...... 4 Figure 5 . Transportation Sector Energy Sources. Poland. 1 988 ...... 4 Figure 6 . Location of Coal Basins. Oil Fields. and Gas Fields. Poland ...... 5 Figure 7 . Tectonic Map of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Poland ...... 13 Figure 8 . Stratigraphic Correlation of Coal Bearing Formations. Poland ...... 14 Figure 9 . Location of Mines and Mine Concessions. Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Poland ... 16 Figure 10. Contour map of methane liberated during mining. Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Poland ...... 20 Figure 1 1 . Lower Silesian Coal Basin. Poland ...... 22 Figure 12. Location of Mine Shafts and Mine Concessions. Lower Silesian Coal Basin. Poland ...... 25 Figure 13. Lublin Coal Basin. Poland ...... 27 Figure 14. Gas Distribution Network in Poland ...... 47 Figure 1 5 . Projected Shifts in Hard Coal and Gas Consumption by 2000 ...... 58 Figure 16. Projected Shifts in Gas Consumption by 2000 ...... 58 Figure 17. Thickness of Lower Devonian and Cambrian Section in Boreholes. USCB. Poland ...... 72 Figure A-1 . Polish and United States Mineral Resource Classification Systems ...... A-2 Figure B.l . Salinity Concentration in Group 3 and 4 Water Discharged From Mines. Upper Silesian Coal Basin ...... 8-3 LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 . Coal Production and Trade in Poland ...... 6 Table 2 . Oil Production and Trade in Poland ...... 7 Table 3 . Natural Gas Production and Trade in Poland ...... 8 Table 4 . Summary of Coal Basin Characteristics. Poland ...... 12 Table 5 . Hard Coal Resources of the USCB ...... 15 Table 6. Key Characteristics of Mine Concessions tn the Upper and Lower Silesian Coal Basins ...... 1 8. 19 Table 7 . Hard Coal Resources of the LSCB ...... 24 Table 8 . Hard Coal Resources of the LCB ...... 29 Table 9 . Official Polish Methane Emission Data for 1989 ...... 31 Table 10. Polish Classification of Coal Seams and Mine Workings With Regard to Methane Hazard ...... 32 Table 1 1 . Estimated Methane Resources of the Upper and Lower Silesian Coal Basins ... 34 Table 12. Stages of an Integrated Methane Recovery Program ...... 36 Table 13. Coalbed Methane Uses According to Recovery Stage ...... 37 Table 14. Power Plant Capacities of Selected Hard Coal Mines. Poland ...... 39 Table 15. Economic Impacts of Regional Assessment Model Scenarios ...... 57 Table 16. Summary Characteristics for the Victoria Mine Concession ...... 64 Table 17. Summary Characteristics for the Brzeszcze Mine Concession ...... 68 Table 18. Summary Characteristics for the Halemba Mine ...... 74 Table A-1 . Hard Coal Resources of Poland ...... A-3 Table A.2 . Hard Coal Resources of the USCB ...... A-4 Table A.3 . Hard Coal Resources of the LSCB ...... A-5 Table A.4 . Hard Coal Resources of the LCB ...... A-6 Table B-1: Quantity and Quality of Group 3 and 4 Mine Water Discharged. and Volume Discharged Relative to Coal Production in the USCB ...... B-4 The authors gratefully acknowledge the following individuals for their support:
James Sullivan, U.S. AID Office of Energy David Jhirad, U.S. AID Office of Energy Robert Ichord, U.S. AID ENE/DR/EI Ken Feldman John Hoffman, U.S. EPA Global Change Division Kathleen Hogan, U.S. EPA Global Change Division William U. Chandler, Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories
Comments received from the following reviewers contributed significantly to this report:
Fred Karlson, Bechtel John B. Homer, The World Bank David Craig, The World Bank Numerous members of the U.S. energy industry
Finally, the authors are indebted to the following Polish individuals and institutions for their gracious assistance:
Dr. Wojciech Brochwicz-Lewinski, Undersecretary of State, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, and Forestry
Dr. Michal Wilczynski, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, and Forestry
Adam Kotas, Geological lnstitute of Poland
Ministry of Industry
Central Mining Institute
Higher Mining Authority
Hard Coal Agency
Silesian University
University of Mining and Metallurgy, Krakow
Minerals and Energy Economy Research Center
Officials of the Waibrzych Voivodship and Victoria Mine
Officials of the Lublin Voivodship and Bogdanka Mine
CHAPTER I
COALBED METHANE IN POLAND'S ENERGY ECONOMY
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Poland is the fourth largest producer of bituminous coal, supplying 6 percent of the world's total and accounting for an estimated 7 percent of world coal mine methane emissions (Boyer, 1990). The release of this methane represents the loss of a valuable resource and a deleterious contribution to the earth's atmosphere in the form of a potent greenhouse gas.
Inefficient use of energy, declining resources of hard coal, and increasing dependency on imported oil and natural gas have created a critical need for new indigenous energy sources in Poland. Faced with severe environmental problems resulting from coal mining and burning, Polish officials are considering the use of more natural gas and less coal and coke oven gas. This would benefit the environment tremendously, but would require significant expenditures for natural gas imports--unless Poland's coaibed methane resources are utilized.
Poland confronts other serious economic challenges. During the 19701s, the Polish government borrowed heavily from the west for industrial technology. From the current perspective, however, the investments were misspent, leaving the Poles with a heavy national debt. The nation's gross domestic product declined by 1 1.2 percent from 1985 to-1988, reflecting the inefficiency of the economy after decades of central allocation and management.
For the reasons suggested above, a national energy strategy is an urgent concern in Poland. Based on the results of this study, it appears that coalbed methane should be an integral part of this strategy to address environmental concerns, meet energy needs, and facilitate economic growth.
1.2 THE ENERGY SECTOR IN POLAND
1.2.1 OVERVIEW Enerav Consum~tionand Production
Coal dominates the nation's fuel mix, comprising 80 percent of the energy consumed in Poland in 1988 (Figure 11, and 78 percent in 1989 (EIA, 1990 and 1991). Lignite (brown coal) accounts for approximately 14 percent of all coal consumed; the remainder is hard coal. Though all Eastern European countries rely heavily on coal, Poland is more dependent on this resource than any other nation in the region, and far more dependent on coal than industrialized nations such as Germany (western), the United States or Japan. In the United States, for example, coal accounted for approximately 23 percent of all the energy consumed in 1988.
In recent years, decreasing hard coal production in Poland has caused a decline in both hard coal exports and domestic coal consumption. For economic reasons, exports are a high priority and must FIGURE 1. PRIMARY FUEL MIX OF SELECTED COUNTRIES, 1988
GAS 12% HARD COAL 7% GAS 10%
HARD COAL 69%
HARD COAL 22%
- OTHER* 1 %
LIGNITE 63
LIGNITE 36% POLAND CZECHOSLOVAKIA EAST GERMANY
OIL 39% OIL 44%
GAS 16%
GAS 23% OTHER* 17% TH ER* 16%
HARD COAL 20% LIGNITE 8% HARD COAL 17% HARD COAL 21 % WEST GERMANY JAPAN UNITED STATES
*Other = Nuclear and/or Hydroelectric Power continue, creating a shortage of hard coal available for domestic use. This gap has been filled by increasing the domestic consumption of low-energy, high sulfur lignite, especially for generation of electricity; increasing lignite consumption in turn contributes heavily to Poland's severe air pollution. Consumption of natural gas and oil are also increasing in response to declining coal production; but unlike lignite, known domestic reserves of oil and conventional natural gas are small. In 1988, domestic oil production in Poland accounted for less than 1 percent of the amount consumed; gas production, only 45 percent of the amount consumed. The gap is expected to widen as dependence on these fuels increases.
Improvements in energy efficiency could help relieve the growing shortages. Poland is second only to the Soviet Union in energy intensity, consuming up to twice as much energy per dollar of gross domestic product as the United States (French, 19901. Major opportunities for energy conservation exist in the industrial sector, particularly through modernization of the metallurgical and chemical industries (Sitnicki et all 1990). Energy conservation opportunities also exist in the residential and transport sectors, including more efficient appliances and heating systems, and upgrading railways and buses. However, the ability to implement these options is limited by available technology and capital.
Sectoral Enerav Demand
According to the United Nations (19901, FIGURE 2. ENERGY DEMAND BY Poland's final energy demand in 1988 was SECTOR, POLAND, 1988 3,364 petajoules (PJ).' Sectoral end use is divided into three categories which are HOUSEHOLD AND commonly used in international energy statistics COMMERCIAL 66% reporting: Industry (including manufacturing, mining andconstruction), Household/Commercial TRANSPORTATION (which includes agriculture, forestry, and hunting), and Transportation (rail, road, water, and air). In 1988, the household/commercial
(using 1,878 PJ) and industrial (1,338 PJ) Souroo: U.N.. 1000 sectors together accounted for 96 percent of the energy consumed in Poland (Figure 2). The third sector, transportation, accounted for the remaining 4 percent of energy consumed (148 PJ). This pattern is typical of Eastern European countries, reflecting an emphasis on heavy industry, a lack of incentive for households and industries to conserve energy, and relatively few personal vehicles.
FIGURE 3. HOUSEHOLD AND COMMERCIAL As shown in Figure 3, about 55 percent of the SECTOR ENERGY SOURCES, POLAND, 1988 household/commercial sector's energy in 1988 was derived directly from coal and coke. Indirect AND STEAM 26 OIL AND QAS 20% use of coal via electricity and steam accounted for 25 percent of the residential/commercial energy demand, and gas and oil fuels comprised the remaining 21 percent. The proportion of energy used by the household sector has been increasing since 1985 and is expected to continue increasing at the expense of the ouro.: UN.. 1990 industrial sector.
-- ' 1.054 PJ = 1 quadrillion (10'7 BTU Most of the energy used by the industrial sector is also derived directly or indirectly from coal, as shown in Figure 4. In 1988, about 52 percent of industry energy was derived indirectly from coal in the form of electricity and steam; 30 percent was generated directly from coal and coke, generally for steel production. The remaining 18 percent was derived from gas and oil, most of which was imported. The proportion of energy consumed by the industrial sector is expected to decrease as heavy industry gives way to lighter .Inoludaa Cob manufacturing and services.
FIGURE 5. TRANSPORTATION SECTOR Figure 5 shows that the transportation sector is ENERGY SOURCES, POLAND, 1988 fueled primarily by oil and gas (63 percent), with 20 percent of its energy generated indirectly as ELECTRICITY electricity and steam, and 17 percent generated directly from coal and coke. Increased passenger-car ownership and agricultural-vehicle use is anticipated, which will increase overall energy consumption by the transportation sector and oil's share in the fuel mix.
Soure.: U.N., 1990
1.2.2 PRIMARY ENERGY SOURCES IN POLAND
Coal: The Dominant Fuel
Hard coal is produced from three basins: The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB), Lower Silesian Coal Basin (LSCB), and Lublin Coal Basin (LCB). The locations of these basins, as well as other energy producing regions, is shown in Figure 6. The USCB has the highest output, producing 17.6 million tons2 of hard coal in 1989.
Polish coal production reached a peak of 201 million tons in 1979, declined and then stabilized from 1983-1 988, dropped sharply in 1989 (Table 1) and has continued to decline. The decline is attributed primarily to steeply rising extraction costs as mining depth increases, and secondarily to granting the miners unions a five-day work week.
Hard coal exports account for a significant portion of Poland's hard currency for use in foreign exchange, and Poland is the world's fifth largest hard coal exporter. About 65 percent of exported coal is sold to western countries. As noted previously, declining production has decreased the amount of coal available for both export and domestic consumption. Sales have decreased from 52 million tons in 1985 to 28 million tons in 1989.
Throughout this report, "tons" refers to S.I. (metric) tons. The term "million" (10') is used, rather than the S.I. prefix "mega-", because it is familiar terminology in the international mining and energy industry. FIGURE 6. LOCATION OF COAL BASINS, OIL FIELDS, AND GAS FIELDS, POLAND
UPPER SlLESlAN
-100 km * EXPLANATION :.:.:...'..>:...... COAL BASIN 0 GAS flELD 1) ON FIELD SWRCE: Am -= I=. UID R-SOU -QIIOU. KC. MOVECTlJS Since much of the current hard coal production in Poland is heavily subsidized, the net benefit to the Polish economy in the continued export of hard coal has been questioned. Production of hard coal for export keeps about 70,000 Poles employed, but it may cost the Polish government $5,000 - $10,000 per employee annually to subsidize the difference between production costs and the sales price of exported coal.
Lignite, a low-energy, high sulfur fuel is not exported, but is used primarily for electrical power generation. As shown in Table 1, lignite production doubled between 1980 and 1988, though production decreased in 1989, an overall increase in production is expected as lignite continues to make up for the energy shortage resulting from declining hard coal production.
TABLE 1. COAL PRODUCTION AND TRADE IN POLAND
LIGNITE HARD COAL HARD COAL HARD COAL YEAR PRODUCTION PRODUCTION EXPORTS IMPORTS (Million Tons) (Million Tons) (Million Tons) (Million Tons) 1980 36.9 193.1 45.9 1.4
1981 35.6 163.0 22.8 1.4
1982 37.6 189.3 37.5 1.5
1983 42.5 191.1 48.2 1.4
1984 50.4 191.6 43.0 1.2
1985 57.7 191.6 52.2 1.4
1986 67.2 192.0 46.2 1.2
1987 69.9 192.9 32.3 0.02
1988 74.0 193.0 32.2 0.02
1989 71.9 176.0 28.0 0.02
1990 Not Available 150.0 Not Available Not Available
1991 Not Available 140.0 Not Available Not Available (est.)
Source: U.S. DOE Energy Information Administration (1982-1 989) Polish MEPNRF* (1988-1 991 ) Polish Hard Coal Agency (1990) Polish Higher Mining Authority (1991 1
' Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources, and Forestry Poland has a long history of oil production, but its known reserves are nearly depleted. Present-day oil production is essentially confined to two regions: the southeasternmost part of the country, and along the Baltic coast (Figure 6).
Oil production reached its peak in 1910 when 1.7 billion3tons4 were produced; output has declined, especially in recent years, with 148 thousand6 tons produced in 1989 (Table 2). Current production levels represent 1 percent of the oil consumed in Poland each year. Declining production and rising consumption is increasing the nation's reliance on oil imported primarily from the USSR, and more recently, Iraq.
TABLE 2. OIL PRODUCTION AND TRADE IN POLAND
YEAR OIL PRODUCTION OIL IMPORTS (thousand tons) (thousand tons) 1980 344 16,693
1981 344 13,740
1982 246 13,486
1983 197 14,249
1984 197 14,249
1985 197 14,249
1986 197 14,148
1987 148 14,301
1988 148 15,013
1989 148 15,115 Source: U.S. DOE Energy Information Administration, (1982-1 989)
The term "billion" (1 09)is used throughout this report, rather than the S.1. prefix giga-, because it is common terminology in the international energy and mining industry.
1 ton of oil = 7.418 barrels
The term "thousand" (lo3)is used throughout this report, rather than the S.1. prefix "kilo-", because it is familiar terminology in the international energy and mining industry. In the late 198Ots, the USSR began cutting back on oil barter arrangements with its COMECON partners, reserving more oil exports for hard currency transactions. This led Poland and other central European countries to make trade arrangements with Iraq, which have been disrupted by the crisis in the Persian Gulf, notably the embargo on Iraqi oil. Thus Poland is recently facing a sudden shift to market oil prices, fluctuation of those prices, a requirement to purchase oil with hard currency, and an uncertainty of supply.
Natural Gas
Natural gas is a relatively new fuel in Poland, with production beginning in the 1950's. The largest gas fields are located in the extreme southeastern part of Poland (Figure 6). Gas is also produced in the west-central part of the country (Gustavson, 1990).
A peak production rate of 7.9 billion cubic meterse was attained in 1978; gas production declined in the late 1980's (Table 31. Domestic production accounts for less than half of the gas consumed in Poland each year, and the nation relies on the Soviet Union for the remainder. Consumption has been increasing since 1985, so increased gas imports have been necessary.
TABLE 3. NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION AND TRADE IN POLAND
GAS PRODUCTION GAS IMPORTS YEAR (billion cubic meters) (billion cubic meters) 1980 6.16 5.26
1981 6.16 5.21
1982 5.32 5.57
1983 5.32 5.94
1984 6.1 6 5.94
1985 6.16 5.82
1986 5.60 6.72
1987 5.60 7.31
1988 5.20 7.54
1989 4.80 7.90 Source: U.S. DOE Energy Information Administration (1980-1 989) Polish MEPNRF (1988-1 991) A
It is expected that declining coal quality and coal production will continue to increase the demand for natural gas in the 1990's; moreover, natural gas demand is likely to increase sharply in the near future,
1 billion cubic meters = 35.3 billion cubic feet = 0.035 trillion cubic feet due to the Polish government plan to close most of Poland's coking plants by the year 2000. Coking plants produced 6.5 billion cubic meters of coke oven gas for domestic consumption in 1988. Closure of the plants will greatly benefit the environment, but will clearly increase demand for imported natural gas.
To make matters worse, the Soviet Union now requires hard currency rather than traditional barter arrangements for natural gas, forcing Poland to make difficult choices in the use of scarce hard currency assets. At present (1991 the Soviet Union is charging $103 (U.S.) per thousand cubic meters. Poland is not only faced with the difficulty of paying for imported gas; it is also faced with a possible uncertainty of supply, as political unrest and a decaying oil and gas infrastructure in the Soviet Union contribute to decreasing reliability as an exporter.
1.2.3 THE NATIONAL ENERGY STRATEGY
It is hoped that economic reforms underway in Poland will result in more efficient use of energy and materials. Poland has already started a program of "shock treatment" reforms intended to lead quickly to a market economy. The resulting sharply increased energy prices have reduced energy consumption, but they have also led to slashed government services and unemployment, so it remains to be seen whether this approach will prove viable (French, 1990).
Laws intended to control energy consumption have recently been passed in Poland (Sitnicki et al, 1990). The legislation is considered satisfactory, but cannot presently be implemented effectively due to insufficient monitoring and inadequate sanctions for violations. Steps have been taken to improve monitoring networks and increase financial sanctions considerably. The government has also enacted economic incentives to decrease raw materials and energy consumption. The effect of sanctions on the reduction of energy consumption is difficult to assess due to their uneven application and the fact that many industries are subsidized, thus lessening the impact of the sanctions.
In addition to legislation already in place, a number of strategies have been proposed to further improve energy efficiency and pollution control (Szpunar et al, 1990). These include:
Resource control strategies - such as using higher quality coal, improving the efficiency of coal mining, and expanding the use of alternate fuels.
Energy consumption strategies - such as using energy more efficiently, applying conservation measures, and evaluating fuel switching opportunities.
Institutional pollution control strategies - such as improving regulatory mechanisms and using economic incentives.
As a step toward pollution control, a number of provisions to improve air quality were developed even before the advent of the Solidarity Movement. Since then, the Ministry of Environment adopted the National Program of Environmental Protection in 1988. This program stipulates a reduction of SO, emissions by 3.6 million tons (30 percent) and NO, emissions by 0.9 million tons by the year 2000; by 2010, it requires a further 30 percent reduction in SO, and 50 percent reduction in NO,.
In spite of these regulations, air pollution problems continue to worsen due to the lack of strict enforcement. Actual compliance with the existing regulations would impose additional economic hardship on the Polish economy. The Polish Minister for Environmental Protection has estimated that enforcement of existing legislation would close one-third of Polish plants (Szpunar et al, 1990). Thus, the Polish government is looking for cost-effective, environmentally attractive ways to produce and consume energy.
1.2.4 THE ROLE OF COALBED METHANE
From the previous sections it is apparent that:
In the future, Poland will be forced to rely less upon domestic hard coal and more upon other energy sources to meet its growing energy needs; a Poland's domestic resources of oil and conventional natural gas are insufficient to meet present, let alone increased, demand; and,
it is difficult for Poland to pay for the amount of fuel it currently imports, let alone the increased amount that will be necessary as coal production and use declines. In short, Poland's energy, economic, and environmental problems will worsen unless an abundant, clean, affordable energy source can be tapped.
Coalbed methane meets these criteria. Large reserves of coalbed methane lie in and around the hard coal mines of Poland. An estimated 4.8 billion cubic meters of methane is liberated by mining each year, most of which is wasted through venting to the atmosphere. Removal of methane from mines for safety reasons is desirable and necessary--but failing to capture and utilize the methane is neither. Polish officials report that only 200 million cubic meters are utilized annually. A comprehensive program of mine methane drainage and utilization, combined with methane development in areas lying beyond the mines, could supply Poland with enough energy to greatly reduce the need for imported natural gas--even with, the assumption that demand for natural gas will rise sharply in the future.
Unutilized, coalbed methane is an environmental liability acting as a potent greenhouse gas. Utilized, it is a remarkably clean fuel. The burning of methane emits virtually no sulfur or ash, and only about 32 percent of the nitrogen oxides, 35 percent of the carbon dioxide, and 43 percent of the volatile compounds emitted by coal burning (Oil and Gas Journal, 1991a; U.S. EPA, 1986). If the scheduled closure of coking plants in Poland proceeds, which is likely, replacement of coke oven gas with coalbed methane will help Poland meet its air quality goals.
In addition to the obvious economic benefit of relieving Poland from the increasing costs of imported natural gas, coalbed methane use is cost-effective in other ways. Drainage and utilization of methane improves mine efficiency and profitability--less money is spent on installation and maintenance of large ventilation fans and other safety measures, and a waste product is converted to a useable and marketable energy source (Dixon, 1987). The reduced potential of injury or death to miners as a result of methane explosions is, of course, an immeasurable benefit.
In addition, coalbed methane could be substituted for hard coal in local power plants through cofiring or direct combustion with burner retrofitting in existing boilers, freeing more hard coal for export from the region or nation, and reducing regional imports of increasingly expensive electricity. An extensive pipeline system is already in place in Poland, and the network is such that delivering methane from mines to power generation facilities, residential, and industrial users would not be difficult. In short, the resource and much of the infrastructure necessary to deliver it exists and is ready to use. CHAPTER 2
COALBED METHANE RESOURCES OF POLAND
2.1 INTRODUCTION
Coalbed methane has long been viewed as a mine safety hazard, requiring that it be diluted to safe , non-explosive levels, and often it is simply vented. In many mines, ventilation alone is not sufficient to maintain safe mining conditions and additional degasification techniques including in-seam drilling and drainage in advance of mining have been developed. Many of Poland's coal mines have dangerously high methane concentrations, and the Poles have long relied on degasification techniques to produce coal safely.
Methane liberation during mining is a function of many factors, including coal characteristics, production rates, and mine depth. Over the years, as mining depth has increased in Poland, methane emission levels have also increased. The Central Mining Institute reports that methane was detected in only 32 percent of coal seams mined in 1962; by 1975, 45 percent of the seams were gassy (Matuszewski, no year). Extrapolation of a graph prepared by the Central Mining lnstitute indicates that in 1988, 61 percent of the mined seams are gassy.
In order to evaluate the potential to develop coalbed methane in Poland, it is necessary to estimate the magnitude of the resource. The estimates in this study are based on an evaluation of coal resources, including methane content and other characteristics of the coal that can affect the production of coalbed methane. This chapter provides an assessment of coal resources in Poland, and estimates its coalbed methane resources. A discussion of the methodology used to estimate coalbed methane resources is found in Appendix C.
2.2 COAL RESOURCES
As outlined in Chapter 1, coal is mined in three basins in Poland, the locations of which are shown in Figure 6. Table 4 summarizes the characteristics of the basins. As the table indicates, the USCB is the largest coal basin in Poland in terms of its coal resources, and most of the coal mining activity is concentrated in this basin. A more detailed description of each basin is provided below.
2.2.1 THE UPPER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN (USCB)
Introduction
Coal mining began in the USCB in 1760; 48 mines were developed prior to 1900, and 37 were developed after 1900. Some of these deposits are no longer active; 65 mines currently produce coal.
USCB coal rank ranges from subbituminous to anthracite; only subbituminous and bituminous coal is being mined at present. Mining depth ranges from 235 to 1,160 meters (m).Formations of Carboniferous age contain the 4,500 m thick productive series, which includes 234 coal seams, of which 200 are considered economic (Kotas and Stenzel, 1986). The total thickness of the coal seams is 339 m.
TABLE 4. SUMMARY OF COAL BASIN CHARACTERISTICS, POLAND
COAL BASIN
Upper Silesian Lower Silesian Lublin Basin Area (km2) 5,800 550 21,000
Documented Coal Resources (Billion Tons) 57.6 0.5 7.7
Number of Active Mines 65 5 1
Number of Undeveloped Deposits and Inactive Mines 33 2 11
Number of Mines Under Construction 1 0 1
1988 Hard Coal Production (Million Tons) 188.5 2.4 0.7
Methane Liberated, 1988' (Million Cubic Meters) 1,003.2 42.3 0
*These are the officially reported values; however, as explained in Section 2.3.1, it is estimated that 4.8 billion cubic meters of methane are liberated from Polish coal mines annually.
Geoloaic Settinq
The USCB is bordered on the west by the Moravo-Silesian Fold Zone, on the south by the Brunnia- Upper Silesia Massif, and on the east by the Krakow Fold Belt. The USCB extends southward from the Rybnik area into the Ostrava-Karvina coal mining district of Czechoslovakia. However, production and resource data pertaining to the USCB refers only to the Polish portion of the basin. Predominant tectonic characteristics (Figure 7) are south-southwest to north-northeast trending folds and thrusts in the west; faults superimposed on dome and basin structures in the center and east; and half horsts cutting the entire basin.
Generally dipping south-southeast, the coal bearing formations are divided into an upper part consisting of continental sediments deposited in limnic-fluvial environments, and a lower part comprised of siliciclastic, molasse sediments deposited in marine, deltaic, fluvial, and limnic environments. The general stratigraphy of the basin is depicted in Figure 8. The upper part of the Namurian section includes the Zabrze and Ruda formations, totalling a coal bearing thickness of about 80 m. Also known as the Upper Sandstone Series, the Zabrze and Ruda formations comprise the principal economic section within the basin. They pinch out to the east. FIGURE 7. TECTONIC MAP OF THE
/l / 4 L-~,T--C--C~ ' 7 UPPER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN, POLAND /-' J
I -'- SOURCE: CU~TRAL wwffi am,uromcr
On average, USCB coals contain 0.86-1.99 percent sulfur (average 1.3 percent) and 1 1.05-1 6.21 percent ash (average 13.7 percent). Heating value ranges from 28.7-32.1 MJIkg.
Coal Resources
Total coal resources in the USCB are estimated at 106 billion tons, contained in 100 deposits. Sixty- seven of the deposits are classified as "developed" (i.e., with active mines or mines under construction); the remaining 33 are "undeveloped" (i.e., have never been or are not currently being mined). As shown in Table 5, more than half the coal resources of the basin are documented (identified), and almost 40 percent are classified as economically recoverable reserves.
TABLE 5. HARD COAL RESOURCES OF THE USCB (IN BILLION TONS)
In Developed Deposits (Active Mines and Mines Under Construction) Recoverable Uneconomic 1 unmineable
In Undeveloped Deposits and Inactive Mines Recoverable Uneconomic I unmineable
PROGNOSTIC RESOURCES
Almost two-thirds of the documented coal resources of the USCB are subbituminous or high volatile C and B bituminous. Most of the remaining coal resource is classified as medium and low-volatile bituminous coal. For a more detailed description of the Polish coal classification system and the coal rank distribution in the USCB, see Appendix A.
Coal Production
Coal mining began in the USCB in 1760, and 48 mines were developed prior to 1900. As of 1988, there were 67 coal mines in the USCB, 65 of which were active, one was under construction, and one was used solely for experimental and training purposes. The location of coal mines and mine concessions is shown in Figure 9.
Overall, USCB hard coal production in 1988 was 188.5 million tons, a slight increase over 1987 production. This represents more than 98 percent of the total hard coal production in Poland. It is estimated that 1 million tons of coal production was lost in 1988 due to strikes at the Manifest Lipcowy (Zofiowka)' and Morcinek (Kazyce) mines.
7Thefirst name is a relic of the Communist regime; the name in parentheses is that generally preferred by mine personnel KEY TO MINING CONCESSION NAMES FIGURE 9. LOCATION OF MINES AND 1 KOP PSTROWSKI 51 KOP CZECZOTT -1 /------\ 2 KOP MlECHOWlCE 52 KOP BRZESZCZE '-MINE CONCESSIONS, UPPER SlLESlAN 3 KOP WWSTANCOWSLASKICH 53 KOP SILESIA 4 KOP BOBREK 54 KOP RYDULTOWV J' COAL BASIN, POLAND 5 KOP CENTRUM 55 KOP RYMER / 8 KOP SZOMBIERKI 56 KOP CHWALOWICE / 7 KOP JULIAN 57 KOP ZMP 8 KOP ROZEARK 58 KOP KRUPINSKI 9 KOP ANDALUZJA ISUSZECI 10 KOP JOWISZ 59 KOP ANNA 11 KOP. SIEMIANOWICE 60 KOP. MARCEL 12 KOP GRODZIEC
IPARYZI
17 KOP KAZIMIERZJUUUSZ 67 KOP MOSZCZENICA 10 KOP GLIWICE 68 KOP KACZYCE 19 KOP SOSNICA IMORCINEKI 20 KOP MAKOSZOWY 69 0G PANlOWKl 21 KOP ZABRZE-BIELSZOWICE 70 Mi CHUOOW 22 KOP WAWEL 71 UNDEVELOPED FIELD 23 KOP POKOJ 72 UNDEVELOPED FIELD 24 KOP UALEMBA 25 KOP SLASK I1 26 KOP NOWY WlREK 27 KOP SLASK 1 28 KOP EARBARA-CHORZOW 29 KOP GOTTWALD KLEOFAS 30 KOP WUJEK 31 KOP POLSKA 32 KOP KATOWICE 33 KOP STASZIC 34 KOP WIECZOREK \ 35 KOP MYSLOWICE \ 36 KOP LENIN IWESOLAI 37 KOP. NlWKA MODRZWOW 38 KOP KOMUNAPARYSKA 39 KOP JAWORZNO 40 KOP SIERSZA APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF THE USCB 41 KOP KNUROW 42 KOP. SZCZYGLOWICE 43 KOP DEBIENSKO 44 KOP BUDRYK 45 KOP BOLESLAW SMIALY 46 KOP BARBARA DOS 47 KOP MURCKI 48 KOP ZlEMOWlT 49 KOP JANINA
EXPLANATION
OllTUE OF YHlWG C0NCESSY)N
WCAMNOF WNE
'----, 0 touMNOFC3TV \ 1
&dkSdkdrn
I SOURCE: CENTRAL MWNG INSTITUTE, KATOWlQ \ s Table 6 provides data on the coal mines of the USCB, including 1988 hard coal production, reserves, and depth. The table also lists the starting date of production for all mines built after 1945. Most of the older mines are in the northern part of the basin, while the newer mines are in the south. Most of the hard coal in the USCB is mined by the longwall method under mechanized conditions.
USCB mines confront a number of serious problems, including outbursts of CO,, methane, and rock; spontaneous combustion; fires and explosions; faults; high temperatures; and poor coal quality. Rock and gas explosions are especially common below 400 meters.
In order to address these problems and increase coal production, many of the USCB mines are undergoing modernization and construction efforts. These efforts include: mechanization and automation of cutting equipment and power plant facilities; expanded methane and rock outburst detection systems; improved methane ventilation and drainage systems; and expanded dewatering and backfilling systems.
In 1988, construction of four coal mines was underway in the USCB (Mining Annual Review, 1989):
Morcinek mine opened in 1986, and in 1988 coal production averaged less than 2,000 tons per day (tpd). By 1992, the mine is slated to produce 6,000 tpd, and production is expected increase to 10,000 tpd in 1995 when development of the 1000 meter level begins.
Czeczott mine opened in 1985, and current coal output is less than 5,000 tpd. A program is underway at this mine to increase production to 24,000 tpd by 1994-1995.
Krupinski mine opened in 1983 and in 1988 it produced an average of 3,000 tpd. An output of 12,000 tpd was planned for 1990.
Construction on the Budryk mine began in 1978 and production is expected by 1992 (Hard Coal Agency, 1990).
Methane Emissions
The Central Mining Institute reports that more than 1 billion cubic meters was liberated from 35 USCB mines in 1989, a 1 percent increase over 1988. While it is certain that these are not the only mines emitting methane, it is not clear why methane emissions are not reported from other mines. Absence of methane emission data from other mines may be due to inadequate monitoring equipment and failure to report methane emissions from Class 1 and I1 mines. The Polish classification of coal seams and mine workings with regard to methane hazard is outlined in Section 2.3.1.
Figure 10 is a contour map of methane emissions per ton of coal mined in the USCB. It can be seen that the amount of methane liberated tends to be highest in the southern portion of the basin. One reason for this trend is that mining depth tends to be greater in the southern part of the basin (compare Figure 10 with Table 6). Another contributing factor is that the mines in the south are newer than those in the north, so the southern region has not been as thoroughly degasified. All of the specific reasons for this increase are not known; complex geological factors including stratigraphic and structural relations, heat flow, and hydrology most likely contribute to the trend. TABLE 6. KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF MINE CONCESSIONS IN THE UPPER AND LOWER SllESlAN COAL BASINS (1988)
MINE C0NCESSK)N AREA COAL R COAL PROD. CHI UBER- m' CH4 PER TON ESTIMATED CH4 NAME Ikm*l SERVES Ikn ATE0 Mm4 OF COAL MINED RESERVES (Mm'l mACOALBASIN
MAN. LlPCOm POFOWKA) 18.1 562.0 3,504 KRUPINSKI &USZIZC) 10.8 m.l 1.122 MOSZCENICA 17.3 280.8 2,874
ZABRZE-BIELSZOWlCE 328 568.1 5,777 JASTFPEBE 14.8 324.5 2,722 ZMP 10.8 341.4 1.085 ANNA 28.8 122.3 2,322
OEBENSKO MYSLOWICE MAACEL MoRClNEK (KAUYCE) SLASK l NIWKA-MODRZEJOW WECZOAEK POKOJ WAWEL KATOWICE
BOBREK RIER MAKOSZOM KNWW AyMlLTOW SOSNOWEC KOMUNA PAAYSKA MINE CONCESSION AREA COAL RE COAL PROD. CH4 UBER- ma CH4 PER TON m) PRODUCTION NAME kma SERVES fM f kn ATED fMrnal OF COAL MINED BEGAN WEAR\
GEN. ZAWADSKI (PARYZ) 380 POLsl(A snr CtERWONA GWARDlA (SATURN) 320 SZOMBERKl 7ao GUWlCE 520 GRODZEC 500 BMEiARA WS. (EXPERIMENT.) NIA BARBARA CmJRZOW 830 ZEMOWlT 650 JOWtSZ 235 GOT'WKD KLEOFAS 510 SEMIANOWICE 540 JAWORZNO 500 SERSZA 350 JANINA 350 POWSTANCOW SUSKlCH 830 ANDALUZJA 835 ROZBARK 880 BOLESLAW SMlALY 300 CZECZOTT em KAZIMERZ-JULIUSZ 877 MURCKl 418
JUClAN BW) ERW.2%. poRAeKA KLIM.) 560 PUST 850 MECHOWICE 850 CHWNOWlCE 550 CENTRUM (PYMlTROV) 830 BUoRVK (C0NSlRUCTK)N) NIA
LOWER SlLESlAN BASIN
NOWA RUDA (SLWEC) TWfw! WCTOAlA WNBRZYCH
TOTALS 368.8 2410 42211 1%- AIIERAGES Sf S 30.6
N/A = Mining depth not tavaibble Production began pfbr to 1045; epd year not avahbb Estimated; sea AppendbtC for details a Awdghbdawage sThetMmmeb~n(*d(hComnunht~me;(hmmeh~ir~~~mhpamml. KEY TO MINING CONCESSION NAMES FIGURE 10. CONTOUR MAP OF 1. KOP. PSTROWSKI 61. KOP. CZ€CZOlT 2. KOP. MlECHOmCE 62. KOP. WKEUCZE '7 METHANE LIBERATED DURING 3. KOP. WWSTANCOW SUSKICH 63. KOP. SILESU 4. KOP. WBREK 54. KOP. RVDULTOWY MINING, UPPER SlLESlAN COAL 1. KOP. CENTRUM 65. KOP. RVMER 8. KOP. SZOMWERKI 68. KOP. CHWALOWICE 7. KOP. JUUAN 67. KOP. IMP 8. KO*. ROZMRK W. KOP. K~NSKI S. KOP. ANOALUW (SUSZECI 10. KOP. JOWISZ 69. KOP. ANNA
(SATURN1 14. KOP. GENERAL UWADZKl IPARVZI
20. SOP. MAKOSZOWV 69. 00 PANIOWKI 21. KOP. ZABRZE.8IELSZOWICE 70. 00 CHUOOW 22. KOP. WAWEL 71. UNDEVELOPED FIELD 23. KOP. POKOJ 72. UNDEVELOPED FIELD 24. KOP. HALEMBA 73. UNDEVELOPED FIELD 26. KOP. SUSK It 26. KOP. NOWV WIREK 27. KOP. SLASK I 28. KOP. BARSAPACHORZOW 29. KOP. GOTTWALO KLEOFAS 30. SOP. WWEK 31. KOP. POLSKA 32. SOP. KATOWICE 33. KOP. STASZIC 34. KOP. WIECZOREK 35. KOP. MYSLOWICE 36. KOP. LENIN IWESOUI 37. KOP. NIWKA-MODRZUOW 38. KOP. KOMUNA PARVSKA 39. KOP. JAWORZNO 40. KOP. SIERSZA 41. KOP. KMROW 42. KOP. SZCZVGLOWICE 43. KOP. DEBIENSKO 44. KOP. BUORVK 45. KOP. BOLESLAW SMIALV 46. KOP. BARBARA 00s 47, KOP. MURCKl 48. KOP. ZlEMOWlT 49. KOP. JANINA SO. KOP. PlAST
EXPLANATION ...... : : . . AMOUNT OF METHANE LIBERATED :.:::4:::::a.56:: DURING THE MINING OF ONE TON OF
CONTOUR INTERVALS
SCALE KRIGING METHOD csn APPENDIX CI , O2.1_5 km ii SOURCE: CENTRAL MlNlNG INSTITUTE, KATOWICE, AND MEPNRF. WARSAW 2.2.2 THE LOWER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN (LSCB)
Introduction
Strategically positioned in western Poland, mining of the coal in the LSCB (Figure 11) is documented back to the mid-13001s, and industrial scale mining back to about 1760. In the mid-19th century, the entire basin was divided into many small mines. Toward the end of the century, these small mines closed or merged into four large mines. These mine concessions occupy 108 km2, about 25 percent of the basin. Coal rank ranges from subbituminous to anthracite; only bituminous and anthracite coal is being mined at present. Most mining occurs between 800 and 900 meters.
Formations of Carboniferous age contain the 1,600 m thick productive series, which includes 34 economic coal seams. These seams vary in thickness from 0.6 to 3 m.
Geoloaic Settinq
Coal bearing formations of the LSCB were deposited in the Intra-Sudetic Synclinorium. The basin extends westward and southward into Czechoslovakia, where coal is produced in the Trutnov district. However, production and reserves data presented in this report pertains only to the Polish part of the basin.
On the average, LSCB coals contain 0.1-0.9 percent sulfur, 7.1-8.5 percent ash, 9.5-10.4 percent moisture, and 17-29 percent volatile matter. Heating value averages from 27.2 to 31.7 MJIkg (Dziedzica et al, 1979). Approximately 2 tons of material are mined to produce 1 ton of coal.
As shown in Figure 1 1, the LSCB is composed of four sub-basins or districts, the most significant being the Walbrzych (central portion of the LSCB) and Nowa Ruda (southeastern portion of the LSCB) districts. In the discussion that follows, the Slupiec district is treated as part of the Nowa Ruda district.
Walbrzych District
This mining district contains the Walbrzych, Victoria, and Thorez mines. Coal bearing formations, from top to bottom, are as follows; a stratigraphic column of the LSCB is also shown in Figure 11.
1. Walbnvch Formation, Namurian A and B. Mean thickness of this formation is 250 m; it ranges from 200-300 m. It contains 30 coal seams, of which 15 are from 0.6 to 1.5 m thick; seam thicknesses vary along both strike and dip, with many thin, barren intercalations. In places cut by igneous intrusions and faults, the seams dip from 25 degrees to 35 degrees southward. Deformation of the seams decreases to the south, toward the center of the synclinorium.
2. Bialv Kamien Formation, Namurian C. This formation contains 2 thin coal seams in the Walbrzych District and a few thin seams to the west, none of which are mined (not economic).
3. Zacler Formation, Westphalian A and B. With varying thicknesses from 130-200 m, the lower part of the Zacler contains 26 coal seams, of which 6 to 10 seams have average thicknesses greater than 0.6 m; one seam has a thickness of 3 m. The 500-700 m thick upper part contains 22 coal seams, of which 5 to 12 seams have average thicknesses greater than 0.6 FIGURE 11. LOWER SILESIAN COAL BASIN, POLAND
POLAND
. . MIEROSZOW
CZECHOSLOVAKIA
EXPLANATIOA: ...... ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~...... BASINS . . - INTERNATIONAL BORDER - - - WENT OF INTRA-SUDETIC SYNCL~NOR~UM
(After Bojkowski and Porzycki, 1983) m. The Zacler is the most productive coal formation of the district. The beds, disrupted in places by igneous intrusives, have dips ranging from 15O to 90°, and extend southward to depths below 1000 m.
Nowa Ruda District
Located 25 km southeast of Walbrzych, the Nowa Ruda district's main mines are the Waclaw, Slupiec, Lech (apparently also known as Piast), and Heddi. Only the Slupiec and Lech produced coal in 1987 and 1988. Mining is hindered by geological conditions such as north-south trending normal and reverse faults, folding, and steeply dipping beds (frequently greater than 40°).
1. Pnvaorze/Dzikowiec Reaion. Includes the Boleslaw, Fortuna, and Zofia coalfields. The Walbnych Formation is Namurian A in age. In the Boleslaw coalfield, its thickness is 230 m; it consists of 32 coal seams, 4 of which attain a thickness greater than 0.6 m. In the Fortuna coalfield, its thickness is 90 m; it contains 9 coal seams, of which 3 are greater than 0.6 m thick. In the Zofia coalfield, its thickness is 80 m; it contains 18 coal seams, of which 4 are more than 0.6 m thick.
Nowa Ruda Reaion. lncludes the Piast and Waclaw-Pniaki coalfields, in which Westphalian A and B coals are mined. The Zacler Formation in the Piast coalfield is 70 m thick in the lower part and contains 5 coal seams, 4 of which are more than 0.6 m thick. The upper part is 280 m thick. The Piast is ranked as one of the most dangerous coal mines in the world due to numerous and violent rock and gas (CO,) outbursts. The presence of CO, appears to be related to NNW-SSE trending faults, where CO, from the underlying outgassing intrusions accumulates. In the Waclaw-Pniaki coalfield, the lower pan of the Zacler is 180 m thick and contains 9 coal seams, 5 of which are more than 0.6 m thick. The upper part is 160 m thick with 4 coal seams, 2 of which exceed 0.6 m.
3. Slu~iecReaion. Includes the Slupiec and Heddi coalfields, in which Westphalian A and B and Westphalian A coals are mined. respectively. In the Slupiec field, the lower part of the Zacler Formation is 70 m thick and contains 15 coal seams, 5 of which are more than 0.6 m thick. The Heddi coalfield contains only a lower part, which is 60 m thick; it contains 5 coal seams, one of which is greater than 0.6 m thick.
4. Milkow Reaion. Includes the Kazimierz coalfield, Westphalian A and B age. Here, the lower part of the Zacler Formation is 20 m thick and contains 2 coal seams, one of which attains a thickness above 0.6 m. The 200 m thick upper part also has 2 coal seams, one more than 0.6 m thick.
Other LSCB Coal Mine Areas
In the past coal was mined locally, on a small scale, along the western boundary of the Intra-Sudetic Synclinorium (Lubawka Basin). Usually single, but occasionally multiple, near-surface coal seams were mined, which tended to abruptly pinch out both along strike and dip. Zacler coal seams were mined at Lubawka, Bialy Kamien seams at Borowno, and Walbrzych seams at Przedwojow towns. These areas are not presently being mined. Coal Resources
As shown in Table 7, total coal resources in the LSCB are estimated at 870 million tons. Of these resources, slightly more than half are documented (identified) reserves in developed and undeveloped areas, while 46 percent are prognostic (undiscovered) resources. Information on the distribution of documented resources into economic and uneconomic resources was unavailable for the LSCB.
Overall, coal in the LSCB is higher in rank than USCB coal. More than two-thirds of the basin's documented resources are high-volatile A bituminous, and almost 30 percent are medium- and low- volatile bituminous and anthracite coal. Less than 3 percent of the basin's resources are sub- bituminous or high-volatile C bituminous. For a more detailed description of coal rank distribution in the LSCB, see Appendix A.
TABLE 7. HARD COAL RESOURCES OF THE LSCB (MILLION TONS) DOCUMENTED RESOURCES
In Developed Deposits (Active Mines) 399 In Undeveloped Deposits and Inactive Mines 71
PROGNOSTIC RESOURCES 400
TOTAL RESOURCES 870
Source: MEPNRF, 1989
Coal Production
As of 1988, there were 5 active coal mines in the LSCB, 3 in the Walbrzych District and 2 in the Nowa Ruda District (although Nowa Ruda is often referred to as a single mine with two producing coalfields). Figure 12 depicts the mine concessions and various mine shafts associated with them. Table 6 provides data on the coal mines, including 1988 coal production, developed resources, and maximum mining depth. In 1988 the LSCB produced 2.4 million tons of hard coal, which represented 1.3 percent of all hard coal production in Poland. Presently, most of the region's coal (more than 1.4 million tons in 1988) is produced by the mines of the Walbrzych District. Dates for the start of production at each of the mines were not available; apparently, all five of them commenced operations prior to 1800.
In 1976, LSCB mines produced 3.9 million tons of coal; production has fallen significantly in recent years due to the decrease in coal quality with increasing mining depth. Methane hazards, CO, emissions and rock outbursts increase with depth, which contributes to decreased production, as do geologic factors, particularly steeply dipping coal seams. The principal mining method in the LSCB is modified longwall; it is not economically feasible to use fully mechanized longwall techniques due to the steeply dipping beds. Because of difficult mining conditions, mining costs in the LSCB are 3-5 times higher than in the USCB. 0 FIGURE 12. LOCATION OF MlNE SWlDNlCA SHAFTS AND MlNE CONCESSIONS, LOWER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN, POLAND
0 KAMIENNA GORA
CI
.\ jL.7. i-.-.- I.-. \.-. \ f. L. i L. 5 j'. \. i d \ %*(% /. f. "*$jO X 9$1 PNlAKl i. r.J *\
.\. PlAST X \ NOWA RUDA /'L 0 SCALE f '"' KOP. NOWA RUDA 0 2.5 5 7.5 10 km I J EXPLANATION c" ). OUTLINE OF MINING CONCESSION. 2 a MINE SYMBOL AT LOCATION OF SHAFT i'. 0 LOCATION OF CITY /. SOURCE MINE LOCATION MAPS PRovto~oBY j E MlNE OFFICIALS. VICTORIA MINE. WALBRZYCH i Methane Emissions
All of the LSCB mines have high methane concentrations, except for the Piast coalfield of the Nowa Ruda mine, which reports no methane but large amounts of CO,. In 1989, the Central Mining Institute reported methane emissions of almost 44 million cubic meters. According to the Central Mining Institute, LSCB mines account for 4 percent of the methane liberated from Polish coal mines and 5 percent of Poland's atmospheric emissions of methane from mines. None of the LSCB mines use advanced techniques to recover methane before or during mining, and there is no methane utilization in the basin.The amount of methane emitted per ton of coal mined at each of the active mines is shown in Table 6.
2.2.3 THE LUBLIN COAL BASIN (LCB)
Introduction
The LCB, shown in Figure 6, is located in eastern Poland and has not been extensively mined. Although seven mines were originally planned for the region, only one mine, the Bogdanka, has been completed; a second, the Stefanow, is about 20 percent complete, and the other five remain in the planning stage.
The delay in further development is due in part to difficulties encountered in the Bogdanka mine, particularly an aquifer above the coal seams, incompetent roof rocks, and barren layers contained within the coal. It is also due to the fact that run-of-mine quality of the coal will need to be improved by a beneficiation process, for which investment capital is presently lacking. Construction began on the Bogdanka mine began in 1975 and coal production began in December of 1982 (Hard Coal Agency, 1990).
The rank of LCB coal ranges from subbituminous to bituminous; most of the coal is subbituminous or high volatile C bituminous. Analysis of coal samples taken from the Bogdanka mine in 1987 yielded the following average characteristics: moisture content, 5.1 percent; ash content, 9.5 percent; volatile content, 31.5 percent; heating value, 29.1 MJIkg. Mining depth is 955 m.
Carboniferous age formations contain the 2500 m thick productive series (Figure 8). Economic coal seams range from 0.8 to 2.7 meters thick. Of 16 coal beds present in the Bogdanka mine, 6 have been designated for mining.
Geoloaic Setting
The LCB is an elongated, NW-SE trending basin (Figure 13). Coal bearing formations occupy about 21,000 km2 of the basin, the boundaries of which are not well defined. The LCB continues southeast into the Ukrainian SSR, which is known as the Lvov-Volhynian Basin. However, production and reserves figures in this report pertain only to the Polish part of the basin.
About 9,000 km2 of the basin is believed to be most prospective for coal; the overburden thickness in this area ranges from 300-1 200 m. FIGURE 13. LUBLIN COAL BASIN, POLAND
EXPLANATION:
COAL THICKNESS 2-10 METERS - INTERNATIONAL BORDER , FAULT
INFERRED BORDER OF CARBONIFEROUS FORMATIONS
0 TUKOW CITY X MINE 0I 20 Km
(After Bojkowski and Po~zYc~~,1983) Coal Formations
The following information on coal formations in the LCB is derived from Kotas and Stenzel (1986):
Lower Carboniferous, Upper Visean. This section contains thin coal seams averaging 0.05-0.3 m thick; locally they are 0.5-0.7 m thick and rarely, 0.9 to 2 m.
Komarow Beds, Namurian A. Composed of cyclic marine and continental sediments, 12 coal seams occur in these beds. Average thickness is from 0.1 to 0.5 m, with some seams from 0.4 to 0.6 m. One seam, of limited extent, attains a thickness of 0.8 to 2 m in the north. None of the seams are considered to be economic.
Bua Beds, Namurian B. Marine, deltaic, and fluvial sediments contain 15 coal seams ranging from 0.2 to 0.4 m thick; four of them reach thicknesses of 0.7-7.2 m. None of the seams are considered to be economic. Thickness of the Bug beds is highly variable.
Kumow Beds, Namurian C to Westphalian A. These beds contain 14 coal seams with thicknesses from 0.05-1.6 m (commonly 0.2-0.4 m); 23 seams locally thicken from 0.8 to 1.5 m.
The beds described above comprise about 8 percent of the prognostic coal resources of the basin.
Lublin Beds, Westphalian A-C. The Lublin beds comprise an estimated 92 percent of the LCB coal reserves (AX2 classification) and constitute the main coal bearing section of the basin. These beds reach a maximum thickness of 900 m in the central part of the basin; 24 of the 50 seams they contain are considered to be economic. These seams are from 0.8-1.6 m (rarely, up to 2.7 m) thick. Some deposits have 12, and rarely 17, economic seams with a mean thickness of 1.2 m. Depth of occurrence varies from 650-950 m, locally up to 1100 m. Three of the seams are constant in thickness, 5 are relatively constant, and 16 are variable.
Throughout the LCB, from the top of the section downward, coal types are 31, 32, and 33 (all slightly metamorphosed) and type 34 (moderately metamorphosed). Coal from the central part of the basin has the following characteristics: ash, 14.6 percent (range 1.97-39.97); sulfur, 1.36 percent (range 0.30- 8.12); heating value, 26.5 Kjlkg (range 17.3-31.3).
Coal Resources
As shown in Table 8, total coal resources of the LCB are estimated at 66.2 billion tons. Of this, only 7.7 billion tons are documented reserves, the bulk of which are undeveloped deposits. Over 70 percent of the documented reserves in the basin are considered economically recoverable.
Coal in the LCB is of low to medium rank. More than 80 percent of the reserves are of subbituminous or high-volatile C bituminous rank, and the remaining reserves are high-volatile A bituminous coals. None of the coal is classified as medium or low volatile bituminous or anthracite. For a more detailed description of coal rank distribution in the LCB, see Appendix A. TABLE 8. HARD COAL RESOURCES OF THE LCB (BILLION TONS)
DOCUMENTED RESOURCES
Developed Deposits (Active Mine and Mine Under Construction) Recoverable 0.6 Uneconomic 1 Unmineable 0.2
Undeveloped Deposits or Inactive Mines Recoverable 4.9 UneconomiclUnmineable 2.0
PROGNOSTIC RESOURCES 58.5
TOTAL RESOURCES 66.2
Source: MEPNRF, 1989
Coal Production
As noted previously, the LCB currently has only one producing coal mine: the Bogdanka mine. Centrally located in the area of thickest coal bearing formations, the Bogdanka mine concession covers 48.4 km2. Production from the Bogdanka mine was 446,000 tons' in 1987 and 688,000 tons in 1988, averaging less than 2000 tons per day.
Future development plans call for an output of 15,000 tons per day of run-of-mine material, resulting in 10,000 tons of clean coal output per day from the preparation plant (1.5 tons of material mined to produce 1 ton of coal). To realize 10,000 tons/day of coal, it is estimated that $6.5 million (U.S.) will be needed to sink a shaft, construct bathlchange facilities for workmen, and a preparation plant. Some of the rock mined with the coal is suitable for manufacture of "cinder" blocks, bricks, and other building materials.
Located about 3 km south of the Bogdanka mine, and connected to it by a tunnel, the Stefanow mine (37.8 km2 in area) has sunk two shafts, one to 990 m and one to 1020 m. Development of two working levels, one at 880 m and one at 990 m, was originally planned to produce 10,000 tonlday of clean coal. Construction activities were halted in 1988 due to unfavorable geologic conditions and a lack of investment capital. It is estimated that an investment of $100 million (U.S.) will be required to complete the construction necessary for planned production to be achieved.
Persistent problems that complicate mining operations and raise costs include prolific aquifers lying both some distance above, and directly on top of, the coal seams under development, incompetent roof rocks, and barren layers contained within the coal. The first two problems also create hazardous mining conditions. Methane Emissions
Methane is not considered to be a hazard in the Bogdanka mine.. Unfortunately, information was not available to confirm its methane emissions. Based on research and exploration conducted by Polish organizations, however, it appears likely that some methane is being emitted by the LCB coal mines. These organizations have reported that:
the gas content of nearly all Namurian coal seams exceeds 0.02 m3/ton clean coal gas content is highest in high-volatile bituminous A coal (Polish coal type 34; see Appendix A) gas also occurs in high-volatile bituminous B and C coals (Polish coal types 32 and 33) gas content increases with depth below 800 m, and particularly below 900 m. volatiles increase with depth.
During exploration, the methane content of drill core (on a dry, ash-free basis) in parts of the basin ranged from 1.0 to 25.6 m3/ton at depths from 1200 to 1600 m. Coal seams are likely to be the source of the "natural gas" of the Minkowice gas field located southeast of Lublin (Depowski et al, 1983). As mentioned previously, the LCB extends into the Ukrainian SSR. Mines in this region are reportedly gassy.
2.3 COALBED METHANE RESOURCES OF POLAND
Preliminary estimates indicate that Poland has vast untapped coalbed methane resources, and as discussed in Chapter 3, there are many attractive utilization options. Based on an evaluation of Poland's coal resources, it is estimated that Poland's total coalbed methane resource is 1.3 trillion cubic meters (46 trillion cubic feet). This estimate is likely to be conservative, because it is based on mining emissions that are likely underestimated. The foundation for this resource estimate is presented below, and the estimation methodology is discussed in more detail in Appendix C.
2.3.1 MINING EMISSIONS
According to the Central Mining Institute (CMI), more than 1 billion cubic meters of methane was released from Polish mines in 1989, up slightly from 1988. Officially reported mine emissions data is shown in Table 9, which indicates that mines in the USCB accounted for 95 percent of total atmosphecic emissions. Note the distinction between "liberation" and "emission": liberated methane is that' released from the coal, whether or not it is utilized; emissions, in the strict sense, refer to liberated methane that has not been utilized and therefore enters the atmosphere.
A number of factors suggest that the actual amount of methane liberated (and consequently emitted) from Polish mines is much higher than has been reported. For example, it appears that methane released into mines that are not considered gassy is not reported. As shown in Table 10, the Poles have categorized mines into four classes depending on in-situ methane content and methane released into the mine workings. Apparently, methane emissions from Class I and II mines are not reported. Methane emanating from mined-out areas (gob gas) and undeveloped deposits is not measured either, yet these areas are connected to the surface via shafts. This gas would not be measured if it did not flow through key areas of the mine where methanometers have been placed to insure compliance with Polish mining safety laws. TABLE 9. OFFICIAL POLISH METHANE EMISSION DATA (IN MILLION CUBIC METERS) FOR 1989. SOURCE: CENTRAL MINING INSTITUTE
PNIOWEK USCB BRZESZCZE USCB ZOFIOWKA USCB HALEMBA USCB KRUPINSKl USCB MOSZCZENICA USCB Sl LESlA USCB 1-MAJA USCB STASUC USCB WESOLA USCB ZABRZE USCB JASTRZEBI E USCB WALBRZYCH LSCB ZMP USCB VICTORIA LSCB 2 SLASKl USCB ANNA USCB NOWY WlREK USCB BORYNIA USCB SOSNlCA USCB JANKOWlCE USCB MORCINEK USCB MARCEL USCB MYSLOWIC E USCB NOWA RUDA LSCB KNUROW USCB WIECZAREK USCB NIWKA-MODRZEJOW USCB THOREZ LSCB SZCZYGLOWICE USCB KATOWICE U SCB WAWEL U SCB BOBREK USCB PSTROWSKl USCB WUJEK USCB DEBIENSKO USCB RYMER USCB RYDULTOWY USCB POKOJ USCB GRAND TOTAL TABLE 10. POLISH CLASSIFICATION OF COAL SEAMS AND MlNE WORKINGS WITH REGARD TO METHANE HAZARD
METHANE CONTENT IN METHANE RELEASED IN THE COAL, m3/T ON A WATER WORKINGS, m3TT OF DAILY CLASS AND ASH-FREE BASIS OUTPUT I 0.02-2.5 <5
II 2.5-4.5 5-10
Ill 4.5-8.0 10-15
IV > 8.0 >15 METHANE CONCENTRATION IN THE CROSS CLASS OF GAS SECTION OF THE WORKINGS' (AS A PERCENTAGE DANGER OF MINE AIR) A < 0.05
B < 1.o
C >1.0
'In normal ventilation conditions. Methane is explosive at a concentration of 5 percent in air. Source: Central Mining Institute (Matuszewski, no year)
Several studies indicate that the CMI has underestimated emissions. An unpublished report produced by a council of engineers under the auspices of the Polish Hard Coal Agency (formerly the Ministry of Mining) concluded that at least 2 billion cubic meters of methane are being emitted from coal mines in Poland annually. A 1989 report (unpublished) prepared by a German consulting firm estimates that methane emissions are at least 3.3 billion cubic meters annually. Finally, Boyer (1990) estimated the volume of methane liberated by the coal mining and processing industry in Poland to be 3.3 teragrams (4.6 billion cubic meters) annually.
Using weighted averages (as derived in Table 6) for the estimated gas content of coal mines in the Upper and Lower Silesian coal basins, it actually appears that 3.5 teragrams (4.8 billion cubic meters) of methane are liberated in Poland each year. This estimate likely takes into account methane emissions by the 29 Polish coal mines not included in the CMI analyses, as well as estimated emissions from gob areas and exposed but undeveloped seams. As follow-up studies of Polish coal mines are prepared, this estimate should be refined.
Table 9 also shows an estimate of how much methane was used by Polish mines in 1988. About 200 million cubic meters, or 19 percent of the liberated methane reported, were being utilized rather than emitted to the atmosphere-. It is important to recognize that utilization does not increase with increased methane liberation estimates. If the amount of liberated methane is underestimated, therefore, it indicates that Poland is utilizing much less than 19 percent of its readily available mine methane. 2.3.2 COALBED METHANE RESOURCE CHARACTERIZATION
Coalbed methane resources are directly related to the geological and geochemical characteristics of the coal with which they are associated. The size of the coalbed methane resource is limited by the size of the coal resource, which is largely determined at the time of deposition, and by the maturity or rank of the coal, which is a result of the ensuing history of the coal basin. This complex and interrelated system of processes generates, and allows preservation of, methane within the coal and coal bearing strata. The coalbed methane resources of Poland can thus be assessed indirectly through the extensive knowledge of the country's coal resources, and more directly through data documenting the liberation of methane during the coal mining process. More conclusive information can be obtained by drilling boreholes at selected sites and analyzing the geological, geophysical, and geochemical data. Pertinent to estimating the size of the resource is the amount of gas that naturally desorbs from coal samples, and further laboratory testing to determine the samples' ability to adsorb methane.
This report estimates the coalbed methane reserves associated with coal resources that have been classified and estimated by the Polish Geological Institute. Using this approach, the coalbed methane resource associated with the coal resources of the Upper and Lower Silesian Coal Basins is estimated to be about 1.3 trillion cubic meters. This estimate of coalbed methane resources in Poland is considered conservative for two reasons: 1) it does not include potentially large resources occurring in the Lublin Coal Basin, and 2) it does not include coalbed methane resources existing below 1500 m.
The potential coalbed methane resources of the LCB are not included because the only active mine in the basin, the Bogdanka mine, reportedly has no measurable methane emissions, which indicates it is not a resource being wasted during mining. This resource may not be estimated, but it is important to note that there are producing "conventional" natural gas fields in the LCB that occur in coal-bearing sediments, suggesting that these coal beds are the source of the gas (see section 2.2.3).
The methane resource is only estimated for coals above 1500 m because the coal resources of Poland are classified and estimated only to a depth of 1500 m by the Polish Geological Institute. Kotas (no date) states, however, that coal bearing intervals presently being mined extend basinward to a depth of at least 4500 m in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Although it is unlikely that these coal resources will be economically recovered, the associated methane is potentially a very large economic resource. Coalbed methane is being produced from coal seams and associated sandstone reservoirs in the Piceance Basin of western Colorado, USA at depths up to 2600 m, which suggests that exploration and development of deep resources of coalbed methane in Poland may also be desirable.
Resource Estimates
Table 11 summarizes the coalbed methane resources of the USCB and the LSCB, and classifies the resources into two categories: documented reserves, which are estimated to be 380 billion cubic meters of methane; and prognostic resources, which are estimated at 948 billion cubic meters of methane. The documented reserves of methane are associated with the documented reserves of coal as reported by the Polish Geological Institute (Polish classifications A, B, C,, C,). Coalbed methane resources were classified as prognostic if the coal resource with which the methane is associated is classified as prognostic or if the coal resource lies within an undeveloped coal deposit or inactive mining area. Prognostic resources are further subdivided into those associated with coal buried to a depth up to 1000 m in undeveloped (but well known) deposits and in inactive mines, and those associated with coal found between 1000 and 1500 m. In preparing these estimates, the methane content of mined coal was estimated based on the CMl's measurements of the gas liberated from coal mines in 1988, and the amount of coal produced from each mine in the same year. For the mines which had no reported methane liberation, methane content of the coal was estimated using the method described in Appendix C.
The terminology commonly used by the oil and gas industry, in-place and recoverable reserves, is not used in Table 11 because the term "recoverable" implies the use of technology commonly applied by the oil and gas industry to recover oil or natural gas. American exploration and development companies use a factor of about 30 percent applied against the in-place reserves of coalbed methane to calculate the recoverable reserves. Since the resources,listed in Table 10 are associated with mining concessions, options for recovering the methane should include methods that could be implemented as a part of the mining process, as well as conventional oil and gas technology. The recoverable portion of the resource would be greatly increased if an integrated approach to development of the coal resources and recovered of methane reserves were used.
TABLE 11. ESTIMATED METHANE RESOURCES OF THE UPPER AND LOWER SlLESlAN COAL BASINS (IN BILLION CUBIC METERS)
DOCUMENTED RESERVES, DOWN TO 1000 m USCB LSCB TOTAL Developed Deposits (Active Mines and Mines Under Construction) PROGNOSTIC RESOURCES Undeveloped Deposits and Inactive Mines, Down to 1000 m 338.3 2.2 340.4 Deposits Between 1000 m and 1500 m 595.3 12.2 607.6
TOTAL RESOURCES 1302.8 25.4 1328.2
Coalbed methane resource estimates for each mining concession in the USCB and LSCB are shown in Table 6. CHAPTER 3
COALBED METHANE RECOVERY AND POTENTIAL FOR UTILIZATION OF COALBED METHANE IN POLAND
3.1 COALBED METHANE RECOVERY
3.1.1 INTRODUCTION
In the interest of mine safety, reduction of the concentration of gas in ventilation air passing through a mine can be accomplished by adding ventilation shafts and/or increasing the size of ventilation fans, or decreasing the amount of gas present in the coal by pre-mining drainage. Unless pre-mining drainage is implemented, however, the capacity of the ventilation system must increase as the volume of methane liberated per ton of coal mined increases. Table 6 shows this methane-to-coal-mined ratio for each mine concession. It can be seen that the ratio is high in the mines which liberate the most methane (the first few mines on the table). Although the costs for ventilation per ton of coal mined in specific mines in Poland is not available, experience elsewhere has shown that there are economic limits to the amount of methane that can be removed from a mine which uses ventilation systems only. Table 9 clearly shows that some mines are already relying on pre-mining gasification systems to reduce the gas content of the coal to a level at which the remaining gas released during mining can be safely removed by the ventilation system, suggesting that engineering limitations of the ventilation system have been reached.
Currently, a few mines use the methane recovered in their degasification systems, but coalbed methane is a grossly underutilized energy resource in Poland. In 1988, the Central Mining Institute reported that 200 million cubic meters of methane from degasification systems was used. However, there is great potential for expanded methane recovery and use. An additional 845 million cubic meters of gas was released to the atmosphere in 1988, of which 286 million cubic meters was drained via degasification systems and therefore contained high concentrations of methane. Significantly more gas could have been recovered with an integrated approach to degasification.
The Jim waiter Resources (JWR) mines in Alabama exemplify the economic success of an integrated mine degasification program. As increasingly gassy seams were encountered at this mine, it was prohibitively expensive to increase the size of the ventilation fans; moreover, even with larger fans, production would be limited to uneconomic levels, unless degasification techniques were used. By initiating an integrated vertical and horizontal preliminary and post-mining gob degasification program, the mines were able to improve safety, increase productivity, and operate profitably. For example, the JWR No. 4 mine, which produces 2.4 million tons of coal annually, would have to double the air flow needed for mine ventilation if it did not employ gob degasification. The additional ventilation shafts would cost an estimated $15 million U.S., and the additional power to run them would cost $0.91 per ton of coal (Dixon, 1990). In addition, many more underground airways would be required. JWR mine engineers state that this would not be feasible, either technically or economically. In addition to money saved as a result of the degasification program, proceeds from methane sales provide further revenue. JWR has sold more than 1.5 billion cubic meters of pipeline gas since 1983. 3.1.2 OPTIONS FOR RECOVERY
An integrated approach to mine degasification would maximize the recovery of methane within Poland's mining concessions and improve mine profitability. Such an approach could include recovery of methane before, during, and after mining, both from the surface and within the mine. Table 12 summarizes the four main methane recovery options and indicates the methane recovery potential of each. As the table indicates, if all types of recovery were implemented and coordinated with mining, it appears that 80 to 90 percent of methane liberated by mining activities could be recovered.
TABLE 12. STAGES OF AN INTEGRATED METHANE RECOVERY PROGRAM
ESTIMATED RECOVERY METHOD DESCRIPTION POTENTIAL Vertical Pre-Mining Recovery Coal seam drainage from 30-80 percent of gas-in- (Stage I) surface. Wells typically place8 require stimulation to produce gas. Can be implemented with or without mining activity.
In-Mine Recovery Boreholes drilled within mine 40-45 percent of gas (Stage II) to recover gas from mined remaining after completion of seams andlor roof and floor Stage la rock. Short or long boreholes. Methane removed via in-mine piping system.
Post-Mining Recovery Methane from gob area Up to 80 percent of gas (Stage Ill) removed either from surface remaining after completion of gob wells or in-mine boreholes Stage 11'' drilled into gob area.
Ventilation Air Recovery Large ducts transport About 50 percent of gas (Stage 1Y) ventilation air to point of use remaining after completion of (i.e., boiler or turbine). Stage Ill
TOTAL RECOVERY 80-95 percent of gas-in-place
Diamond et al, 1989
Mills and Stevenson, 1991
lo Trevits et al. 1988 3.1.3 CONSIDERATIONS IN SELECTING RECOVERY METHODS
There are many different options available for using coalbed methane recovered from mining operations. The optimal choices will be determined by numerous factors, including technical considerations (i.e., gas quality and quantity), economic considerations, and regional energy needs. The ideal recovery program involves all four stages; however it is recognized that economic factors may preclude the use of all four. It should be noted that these options can be undertaken simultaneously, for example:
While vertical pre-mine drainage from the surface is not applicable in all current mining operations, vent gas or in-seam drainage from currently operating mines could be economically feasible, even if energy yield is relatively small from a regional or national perspective.
a Pre-mine drainage, which would produce higher concentrations of methane, could show more substantial energy yield (high-methane content gas) for a more substantial investment. By reducing the methane and small concentrations of CO, present, a successful pre-mine drainage project would reduce the potential yield from in-seam drainage, and thus the investment for efficient energy would be reduced.
a The methane yield from post-mining drainage of gob areas will be reduced by successful pre- mine drainage. Additional investment will also be reduced since the vertical wells used in pre- mine projects could also serve as post-mining gob gas drainage wells.
Pre-mine degasification wells typically remove large quantities of water from the coal before and during methane production. In many cases, the presence of this water would have been prohibitive to mining, and the pre-mine drainage of both water and gas could reduce the cost of water removal during mining.
Table 13 summarizes the typical gas qualities and uses associated with different recovery approaches, and the following sections provide an overview of Poland's general utilization options and Poland's regional energy needs.
TABLE 13. COALBED METHANE USES ACCORDING TO RECOVERY STAGE
METHOD GAS QUALITY USE Vertical .Pre-Mining Recovery >95 percent Direct Use by Industry/Residences Power Generation Chemical Feedstock
In-Mine Recovery 30 percent-95 Direct Use percent Power Generation
Post-Mining Recovery 30 percent-95 Direct Use percent Power Generation
Ventilation Air Recovery < 1 percent Combustion Air for Power Generation 3.2.1 GAS QUALITY AND UTILIZATION OFllONS
Implementation of pre-mining (Stage I) and post-mining (Stage Ill) drainage techniques should be considered as a method for reducing the amount of methane that would be emitted through mine ventilation air systems (Stage IV). Because these methods involve extraction of methane from coal seams or in rubblized gob areas, the concentration of methane is typically high. Gas removed from the coal seam using pre-mining drainage should consistently be above 90 percent methane and that removed from the post-mining gob area would typically be above 50 percent methane (pipeline quality gas can be recovered as discussed in Section 3.1.3). Because both forms of gas are of higher quality than the ventilation air, there are greater economic opportunities for its distribution and utilization.
While many options could exist at each mine for utilizing this energy, greatest economic return might be obtained when the energy is sold as an alternative to natural gas rather than as an alternative to coal. Therefore, priority should be given to transporting this higher quality gas to natural gas or coke- oven gas pipeline systems when it is feasible. Where it is not economically feasible to transport to existing gas users, it might be possible to sell the gas as an alternative to coal utilization. In addition, because the gas contains no sulfur or ash, coalbed methane could obtain a premium value over coal due to the fact that its pollution control costs are considerably lower.
The coalbed methane resources of each mining concession have been documented in Table 6. The total coalbed methane reserves in Upper and Lower Silesia based on coal mine reserves were estimated to be 1.3 trillion cubic meters. These reserves are significant considering that the annual gas utilization in Poland is currently only 11 billion cubic meters.
There are relatively few uses for the low concentration of methane contained in ventilation air and a limited number of options for reducing this source of atmospheric emissions. Various studies have evaluated the potential for separating methane from ventilation air to produce a more concentrated product. While such an approach may eventually become attractive, it is currently too expensive. Methane emissions could also be reduced by flaring the gas, thereby producing CO,, which is a less potent greenhouse gas than methane. However, the mine ventilation air does not contain enough methane to sustain combustion and as a result, support fuel would be required to flare the methane. This support fuel would prohibitively increase the cost of reducing methane emissions in this manner and would also increase atmospheric emissions of CO,.
Another option for reducing methane emissions from mine ventilation air is to use the air to combust fuel and produce heat. The ventilation air could be used to burn fuel in steam boilers or gas turbine generators which are used to convert fossil fuel energy into electricity. The ventilation air could supply all or most of the combustion air required and the methane would supply a fraction of the needed fuel.
Ninety percent of the methane emitted in Poland in 1989 resulted from the 24 mines listed in Table 14. This list contains 22 mines which are located in the Upper Silesian coal basin and 2 mines in the Lower Silesian coal basin.
The flow rate of ventilation air was estimated for each mine assuming that the air contained 1 percent methane. Polish mining law requires that the ventilation air at the working face contain no more than TABLE 14. POWER PLANT CAPACITIES AND ESTIMATED VENTILATION AIR REQUIREMENTS OF SELECTED HARD COAL MINES, POLAND
1 tsbmated Methane % of Total Power Plant Estimated Equivdent Estimated Ventilation Air Potential Mine Name Vented National Capacity Equivalent Annual Gas Boiler Air Available @ Vent Air (million m3/yr) Emissions (MW Thermal) Capacity* Consumption Requirements 1% CH4 Utilization (%) (MW Electrical) (million ma) (million m%rl (million m3/hr)
1 Pniowek 109 14 87.3 33 58 0.1 3 1.25 11 2 Brzeszcze 96 13 106.2 40 71 0.16 1.10 15 3 Halemba 57 7 527.0 200 na 0.80 0.65 100 4 Zofiowka 56 7 421.4 160 280 0.64 0.63 100 5 Krupinski 45 6 30.0 11 20 0.05 0.51 9 6 Moszczenica 43 6 279.5 106 186 0.42 0.50 85 7 Silesia 39 5 53.5 20 36 0.08 0.44 18 8 1 -Maja 34 4 53.6 20 36 0.08 0.39 21 9 Wesda 28 4 na na na na 0.32 na o 10 Staszic 25 3 na na na na 0.29 na (O 11 Zabrze 23 3 26.4 10 18 0.04 0.26 na 12 Walbrzych 19 3 0.0 0 na 0.00 0.22 0 13 Jastrzebie 19 2 40.3 15 27 0.06 0.22 28 14 Victoria 16 2 300.0 114 199 0.46 0.19 100 15 Slask 16 2 87.2 33 58 0.13 0.19 71 16 ZMP 15 2 na na na na 0.17 na 17 Borynia 15 2 16 6 11 0.02 0.17 14 18 Sosnica 14 2 29.8 11 20 0.05 0.17 27 19 Nowy Wrek 13 2 52.2 20 35 0.08 0.15 52 20 Anna 12 2 na na na na 0.13 na 21 Myslowice 10 1 142.5 54 95 0.22 0.12 100 22 Jankowice 9 1 101.3 38 67 0.15 0.10 100 23 Morcinek 8 1 63.9 24 42 0.10 0.09 100 24 Marcel 6 1 na -na na na na na
* Assumed heat rate of 10.5 MJIkWhr na = data not available 1.5 percent methane. Based on the large amount of methane liberated during mining, an average of 1 percent methane concentration in the air ventilated from the shaft appears conservative.
Using the estimated air requirements of each miners boiler plant and the estimated ventilation air flow from these mines, it appears that the existing coal-fired plants could use between 9 percent and 100 percent of the existing ventilation air for combustion air. On a national basis, 32 percent of the existing ventilation air could be used in existing boiler facilities. This amount is very large in comparison to the potential in the U.S., where the large distances separate hard coal mines from power generation facilities.
Implementing conventional pre- and post-mining drainage programs using vertical (surface) and horizontal (in mine) wells would significantly reduce the amount of methane that must be removed using ventilation air. This could result in lower ventilation air requirements, eventually reducing the concentration of methane in the air below 1 percent.
A reduction in the ventilation air requirement would reduce the amount of electrical energy needed to operate ventilation systems. This would result in reduced utilization of mine power facilities unless the power can be directed to other users. However, even after full implementation of a degasification program, it may still be possible to use almost 100 percent of the ventilation air in existing mine boilers.
Economic analyses performed for this application in the U.S. (Energy Systems Associates, 1991) conclude that such projects could be economically feasible when the supply distance from the mine ventilation shaft to the combustion device is less than about 2 km. The effective energy costs are extremely low when this waste gas stream requires only short supply distances of approximately 500 m or less. These distances can likely be accommodated by locating new power facilities at the mines. Interest in utilization of mine ventilation air is growing; in Nova Scotia, a power utility company is planning to use mine ventilation air for its nearby power generating facility (Bain, 19911.
Development of options for using recovered mine ventilation air should be included in an integrated national approach for resource development that includes pre- and post-mining degasification to reduce the volume of ventilation air required for mining. Program development should be directed at these highest emitting mines in the Upper and Lower Silesian coal basin to achieve the most impact on methane emissions.
Development of a program to fully utilize this resource should begin with a more comprehensive characterization of project components such as:
Characteristics of mine ventilation systems including the number of ventilation shafts and the flow rates of ventilation air.
The methane concentration in the ventilated air. a The distance between the ventilation shafts and the mine power plants.
Detailed information on power plant characteristics, annual generation, efficiency, and projected utilization.
Ventilation Air Use in Coal-Fired Boilers The amount of ventilation air that can be used in a coal-fired power plant can be calculated from the generating capacity of the plant. For a first order approximation, the combustion air requirement of a coal-fired boiler is estimated to be 4 cubic meters per hour per kilowatt of generating capacity (m3/kW). At any specific site, the air requirement might differ slightly due to differences in coal characteristics, plant efficiency, the amount of excess air used and the concentration of methane in the ventilation air. It is estimated that these differences would not be more than * 20 percent.
Within the power plant, the ventilation air could be transported through the existing boiler air ducts and coal circuits without changing the stability or safety of boiler operation. Methane contained in the ventilation air would readily be consumed in the boiler, delivering heat to the process. The amount of heat supplied by the ventilation air would depend on the concentration of methane in the air. Based on typical boiler efficiencies and the air requirements specified above, if the ventilation air contains 0.5 percent methane it would supply approximately 7 percent of the boiler's energy. A ventilation air methane content of 1 percent could supply 14 percent of the energy required by the boiler.
In addition, the displacement of a small amount of coal by methane could produce improvements in unit operation as a result of reduced coal handling, lower pulverizer power requirements and maintenance costs, reduced furnace slagging, lower ash handling and lower emission of particulates, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides.
Ventilation Air Use in Gas Turbines A gas turbine is a much simpler device than a coal-fired power plant. Its basic components are an air compressor, combustors, a power turbine, and an electrical generator. Gas turbines are less capital intensive than coal-fired power plants, they use more expensive fuel, and a large range of sizes are practical. Gas turbines could be located at the mine to minimize the transportation cost of the ventilation air and it may be possible for the mine to use all or much of the electricity produced. No gas turbines are currently operating in Poland although their use in combined cycle and cogeneration plants could be attractive based on economic and environmental grounds.
The combustion air requirements of a gas turbine can be correlated from its generating capacity. The combustion air required for simple cycle gas turbines is approximately 10 m3/hr of air per kilowatt of installed turbine capacity. This calculation is based on manufacturer operating and design data for turbines in the 1 to 100 MW size range. Slightly lower air flows are required for the more complex combined cycle plants, This flow is about three times the flow required for steam boilers as a result of turbine cooling requirements. The turbine temperature should be sufficient to fully combust the methane in the ventilation air, providing heat to the process.
At 0.5 percent methane, ventilation air would supply about 15 percent of the heat to the turbine. When the ventilation air contains 1 percent methane, approximately 30 percent of the turbine energy can be derived from this waste product. Obviously, this would significantly increase the appeal of a gas turbine operation.
Gas turbines can be placed at any desired location. They are used to pump oil and natural gas in all major oil and gas producing regions of the world, including the Arctic and North African desert. Therefore, the gas turbine can provide the flexibility in size, design, and siting necessary to be compatible with mine ventilation air use.
3.2.2 POWER APPLICATIONS
The development of power projects using coalbed methane is among the most attractive utilization options. Generation of both steam and electricity is possible and the displacement of coal is the likely result. Electrical power is used by all coal mines and thermal heat is supplied to many mining communities for district heating. There are many benefits associated with generating power from coalbed methane. First, use of this gas reduces the waste of a non-renewable resource that has adverse environmental effects when vented to the atmosphere. Moreover, to the extent that gas displaces coal for power generation, there are environmental benefits to the communities that surround the coal mines. In addition, if electricity can be generated at a lower cost using coalbed methane, it may improve the economic viability of the coal mining operations, which typically require large amounts of electricity to operate ventilation fans and other equipment. Finally, since many mines currently use coal to generate electricity, the displacement of this coal with gas would give them additional coal to market.
Many technologies can be used to generate power from coalbed methane, including steam boilers, internal combustion engines, and gas turbines or combined cycles. in some cases, these generating devices can be modified to burn coalbed methane in addition to another primary fuel, while in other cases the devices can be dedicated to the use of coalbed methane. Moreover, these combustion devices can use methane of varying energy content, ranging from 10-40 MJ/m3.
The following sections summarize the status of electricity generation in Poland, as well as describing the major power generation technologies that use coalbed methane.
As described in the first chapter, the Polish electricity generating system is dominated by coal-fired boilers. In 1990, its total generating capacity was almost 29 gigawatts (GW), and more than 90 percent of that capacity was coal-fired. About two-thirds of this coal-fired capacity burns hard coal, and the remaining power plants use lower quality lignite.
In 1989, Poland generated 145.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. Industrial and other large customers used over half of this power, residential and commercial users accounted for 20 percent of demand, and another 18 percent of the electricity was consumed in auxiliary facilities at power plants and lost in the process of power transmission and distribution. Most of the remaining 10 percent of the electricity was used by public utilities or exported.
Many of Poland's power generating facilities are known as "combined heat and power" (CHP) plants because they produce both electricity and thermal energy. Thermal energy is produced in the form either steam or hot water, and it is commonly used for district heating in residential and other buildings. More than 20 percent of the final energy used in Poland consists of steam and hot water. For this reason, the heating needs of many residential communities are dependent on these CHP plants.
The Polish power sector is currently undergoing unprecedented change as the government attempts to privatize this industry. Already, individual power plants have been converted into private stock companies, although the state is the only current shareholder. In addition, the Ministry of Industry is evaluating electricity price restructuring and recent national environmental legislation will require utilities to reduce emissions of sulfur dioxide by up to 75 percent before 1998. These changes will have significant impacts on planning decisions regarding operation of these generating plants. The most urgent needs of the Polish power industry are for modernization and pollution control. Modernization may result in the retirement of older and less efficient generating units and CHP plants. The need for pollution controls will increase the effective cost of coal utilization.
According to a list of public power stations published by Szpunar et al (19901, the oldest operating coal-fired power plant in Poland was commissioned in 1895, and the newest in 1979. The average capacity of the thermal power stations increased from 360 megawatts (MW) in 1980 to 500 MW in 1988. Power Generatina Technoloav O~tiong lnventorv of Power Plant Characteristic$ Poland's coal mines use a significant amount of electrical power to operate mine ventilation fans and other mining equipment. In order to ensure mine safety, Polish mining law requires that three independent sources of electrical power supply each mine. This is done to minimize the potential for an electrical power failure, which could result in mine explosions caused by methane accumulation. To accommodate the requirement for independent sources of power, most Polish coal mines have coal- fired electrical generating capacity. In most circumstances these power plants generate both electrical and thermal energy that is used at the mine and in the surrounding mining community. Table 14 presents a list of the power plant capacities at the 24 highest methane emitting mines in Poland. In several cases no information was available on the mine's power plants.
Combined, these mine-mouth power plants are capable of generating 2418 MW of thermal energy. The final distribution of this power is as mixture of both electrical and thermal energy. However, because the capacities of the electrical generators could not be obtained, the equivalent electrical generating capacities have been estimated. The estimated energy consumption of these plants is presented in terms of the equivalent volume (m3)of methane assuming an annual plant capacity factor of 65 percent. In addition, Table 14 presents the estimated combustion air requirements of each plant and the estimated ventilation air flow rate from each mine.
Boilers Many of Poland's industrial and utility boilers will require modernization in order to achieve efficient, reliable, and economic operation. In addition, as environmental costs are imposed on coal utilization, the cost of coal-fired generation of thermal or electrical energy must rise. As in the U.S., the cost of coal utilization in small institutional and industrial boilers can become very large relative to the amount of energy produced. In these situations, conversion of coal-fired boilers to gas or construction of gas- fired steam units can be cost-effective compared with installation of pollution controls.
Coalbed methane can be used in two ways in existing boilers. First, the boilers can be modified to "cofire" with coalbed methane (or conventional natural gas), which means that they will use some fraction of gas in addition to their primary fuel. Second, the boilers can be converted to gas-firing. In addition, new boilers can be designed to use gas.
Cofirina with Natural Gas Cofiring recovered coalbed methane with coal in steam boilers is an attractive option for many reasons. Use of this gas may only require completing a gathering system and installing gas cofiring burners in an existing coal boiler. Gas burners are relatively common technology and several coal-fired boilers in Poland currently use similar equipment for startup and flame ignition.
Further, when cofiring, the ongoing operation of the boiler system does not depend on the availability of methane. If for any reason the mine is closed or methane is no longer available, the boiler could maintain its ability to operate entirely on coal. Unlike many industrial or residential gas users that require consistent gas quality and supply, boilers are forgiving with respect to gas quality as long as the range of gas quality is within certain limits; in the case of coalbed methane, gas quality is fairly well defined and boilers would be designed accordingly. Large fluctuations in gas quality could be accommodated by additional burners. Cofiring would displace small amounts of coal, thereby reducing particulate, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxide emissions. Moreover, cofiring has been documented by the U.S. Gas Research Institute to improve coal-fired boiler operation and efficiency. The total installed cost of cofiring burners is estimated to be $2410 per kilowatt of installed boiler capacity. The cost of constructing a gathering system would depend on site-specific parameters such as the distance from the mine to the boiler and the quality and volume of gas transported.
Boiler Conversion Existing boilers can be converted from coal to gas by retrofitting gas burners and, in some cases, making boiler pressure parts modifications. If a reliable source of high-quality gas is available, the boiler can be converted without significant boiler modifications and continue to achieve its existing steam generating capacity.
New Boilers Where new boilers are needed, gas-fired boilers provide a clean, efficient, and reliable source of power generation. In addition, gas-fired boilers can be taken on and off line more readily than stoker-type coal boilers, and permit a much greater turndown in operating capacity. These benefits can reduce the total fuel consumption of the steam plant, thereby reducing operating and maintenance costs as well as pollutant emissions.
Internal Combustion Enaines Internal combustion engines (IC engines) can be used to generate electrical power using medium to high quality coalbed methane. Typical IC engine capacities range from several kilowatts to as much as 1 MW. These sizes are obviously much smaller than typical gas turbines and therefore would be compatible with the methane produced from a single coalbed methane well. A 1 MW IC engine would use approximately 10,000 m3 of methane per day. Therefore, a gas well producing 25,000 m3 per day of 90 percent methane gas would be capable of supplying approximately 2.5 MW of IC engine capacity.
IC engines are sold in modular packages that require little expertise to install and operate. Because of their relatively small size, IC engines can be relocated rather easily if gas production is depleted. IC engines could be operated on medium quality methane recovered from in-mine degasification systems. Although variations in methane concentration previously caused some problems with the use of mine gas in IC engines, modern integrated control systems allow fluctuations in gas quality to be accomodated in the operation of the engine.
Gas Turbines and Combined Cvcles Gas turbine generators are typically used by U.S. electric utilities to provide for peak power demands. There are currently no gas turbines operating in Poland and peak power demand is met with hydro storage and conventional system capacity. Although gas turbines are typically more expensive to operate than coal-fired units due to higher fuel costs and lower unit efficiency, their use can be attractive due to lower installed capital costs and the fact that a large range of sizes are practical. This permits the addition of smaller increments of capacity that can be used for peaking rather than investing in larger, more capital intensive coal-fired units that would be under-utilized. Gas turbines may soon be manufactured in Poland by Zamech, the Polish stream turbine company, which was recently acquired by Asea Brown Boveri (ABB).
The energy requirements of gas turbines are directly related to unit size and efficiency. Typically, gas turbines require about 0.34 m3 of methane per kilowatt hour (m3/Kwhr) of generation. Annual energy consumption for a large 100 MW gas turbine would be 200 to 300 million cubic meters per year.
Gas turbines are available in a wide variety of sizes, ranging from several hundred kilowatts to as much as 250 MW capacity. The installed costs of gas turbines average $300 to $500 per Kw capacity.
Gas turbine exhausts are a good source of waste heat, which can be used to generate steam in a heat recovery boiler. When this steam is used for process or district heating, it is known as cogeneration. When used in a steam turbine generator for additional electrical power production, the system is referred to as a combined cycle. When the steam is injected intp the hot gases flowing to the power turbine, the system is known as a steam injected turbine (STIG). All of these uses improve the thermal efficiency of the system. In some cases, supplemental fuel is burned in the recovery boiler in order to increase steam generation or temperature.
The optimum mix of thermal or electrical power production will obviously depend on site-specific energy demand. The development of coalbed methane fired cogeneration in many communities in Poland could be valuable for meeting district heating and electrical power requirements in a more environmentally acceptable manner. In addition, the development and utilization of low cost coalbed methane resources in these modern generating systems could provide for economic and energy efficient power generation.
3.2.3 DIRECT USES
In many cases, it may be desirable to transport recovered coalbed methane directly to end-users to meet their energy needs. Developing these projects will require: (1) identifying end users, and (2) transporting the gas from the po,int of production to the end user. In many cases, the most attractive option may be to distribute the recovered methane through an existing gas pipeline to an existing end user, displacing the use of imported natural gas. In cases where large amounts of coalbed methane are being recovered in advance of mining, gas supplies may warrant development of dedicated pipelines and new end-use applications.
Potential End Users of Coalbed Methane
There are many possible end users of coalbed methane in Poland, including energy consumers in the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors of the economy. Some possible uses are highlighted below.
Residential Uses Gas, turbine exhausts are a good source of waste heat, which can be used to generate steam in coal fired boilers for heating. In the densely populated regions of Upper and Lower Silesia, ground level sulfur dioxide and particulate emissions are aggravated by this coal use. Thus, availability of coalbed methane may permit conversion of existing coal-fired hot water residential boilers to gas, reducing local pollution.
Commercial Uses The primary commercial use of natural gas is for heating. As with residential users, greater availability of methane would permit conversion of coal-fired commercial hot water boilers to gas. The environmental benefits of this approach are well documented. In addition, a significant energy savings compared to coal use is possible, because low-load stoker furnace operation is often characterized by excessive smoking due to incomplete coal combustion. To prevent this result, boiler loads are often kept high, forcing building tenants to regulate temperature by opening windows. Furthermore, in radiant or forced-air furnaces using coal, combustion cannot be easily stopped and started to accommodate heating load swings. In contrast, gas heating can respond more readily, delivering only the margin of heat required. Industrial Us= Natural gas and coke-oven gas are used throughout the industrial sectors of Poland for heating and process uses such as glass, steel, chemical, and food industry production. The availability of coalbed methane would serve to maintain supply and price to current users or encourage future development of energy intensive enterprises.
Due to the close proximity of industry to coal mining regions in Upper and Lower Silesia, coalbed methane should be relatively easy to transport to existing gas users. Transportation of large volumes of coalbed methane could be accomplished through construction of private distribution pipelines between mines and energy users.
Refriaeration Coalbed methane can also be used by industries to generate energy in the form of refrigeration or cooling through direct-fired gas engines or gas-fired absorption cooling. Refrigeration or flash freezing could be valuable in agricultural and food processing industries for preserving and storing food.
Typically, electrical power is used for this purpose, although the savings on gas cooling in the U.S. are sufficiently large to provide a very attractive payback schedule on the conversion or installation of gas- fired equipment. These savings could become significant in Poland as electricity costs rise.
Unlike most electric air conditioning systems that use chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's), gas absorption cooling does not involve the use of CFC's.
Gas Pi~elineSvstems in Poland
If recovered coalbed methane meets applicable quality requirements, it can be injected directly into the pipeline system and transported to end-users. In the United States, methane must have an energy content of more than 35 MJIm3 in order to be injected into the natural gas pipeline system, and as a result, much of the methane recovered by mine degasification systems is not considered pipeline quality. In Poland, there are several different pipeline systems with different quality requirements and it may be possible to provide lower-quality coalbed methane to end-users via the existing pipeline system. The Polish gas distribution system is complex, and as described below and shown in Figure 14, there are three distinct distribution systems, each carrying a different type of gas. The pressure control system is complicated and somewhat inefficient, which may cause interruptions and some variations-in quality. Furthermore, the system is currently operating near its full capacity, which limits the ability to add potential new users. As natural gas use expands in Poland, it may be necessary to expand and upgrade the natural gas distribution system.
Coke Oven Gas Svstem Coke oven gas is manufactured from locally produced coal, and about half of it (3.5 billion cubic meters in 19891 is and distributed to household and industrial consumers in Lower and Upper Silesia. This gas typically has about half the heating value of pure methane; the remaining components are carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Due to unfavorable economics and the adverse environmental effects of coke production, plans have been made to close the majority of Poland's coke plants by the year 2000. It may be possible to distribute medium or high quality recovered coalbed methane through the existing pipelines, however. In addition, because coke factories are typically located near coal mines, it is likely that relatively short transmission lines will have to be constructed to transport recovered coalbed methane from the production area to the existing coke oven gas distribution system.
Hiah-NitroaenILow-Methane Svstem High nitrogen natural gas is produced from fields located in the lowlands of western Poland. The nitrogen content ranges from 10 percent to more than 80 percent. This gas is distributed by pipeline in western Poland. An attractive possibility of using this system to transport coalbed methane exists for areas where the distance between mines and the low methane natural gas system is relatively short, the gas production is high, or several mines could use a common pipeline. The average gas quality of this system is reportedly 55-65 percent methane, which could easily be maintained with coalbed methane through gas monitoring and blending techniques.
Hiah-Methane Svstem Methane produced from fields in the Carpathian region of Poland typically has a methane content of 70 to 99 percent. This gas is combined with natural gas imported from the USSR and distributed by pipeline throughout Poland. In some areas it may be possible to inject recovered methane directly into this distribution system, provided the quality of the recovered gas is sufficiently high and that the mine is located near the distribution system. This methane could then be distributed to conventional residential, commercial, and industrial users.
3.3 REGIONAL UTlllZATlON OPTIONS
Choosing the best utilization options for a given region depends on the particular energy needs of that region. This section provides a profile of each region and identifies some of the most promising utilization options.
3.3.1 UPPER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN
The Katowice Voivodship occupies most of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The topography of the province is rolling hills, which have a more open character in the northern and eastern sections, and a more Appalachian character in the southern and western areas. Katowice, the central city of the province, is about 70 km northwest of Krakow, and a similar distance northeast from the Czechoslovakia border.
The 1988 population of Katowice was 366,000; Sosnowiec, the second largest city in the region, reported 259,000 inhabitants. Together, the two major cities comprise only about 16 percent of the voivodship population, but the province is very urban in character. The total population of the province was 3.9 million in 1988.
Total employment in the province was estimated at 1.6 million in 1988. Employment has increased more rapidly than population (at a 1.1 percent annual rate between 1978 and 1988, versus 0.85 percent for population). Still, the 1988 Katowice population per employee index of 2.5 is quite high in comparison to the 1988 average for the U.S. of 2.1, and the employed percentage of the total population in Katowice is correspondingly low.
In the 1960's and 19708s, Upper Silesia was a major focus of Poland's efforts to develop its industrial base. Today, the KatowiceIUpper Silesian Coal Basin region is the most heavily industrialized and polluted in Poland. Present energy utilization is largely dependent on coal for steam and electrical generation. Natural gas, coke oven gas, small amounts of coalbed methane and oil are also used throughout this region for industrial, commercial, and residential purposes. There are 10 to 15 coal-fired generating plants in Upper Silesia that are affiliated with the national power grid. In addition, many industrial facilities such as coal mines and steel works generate their own electrical and thermal power using coal.
Due to the heavy industrialization of Upper Silesia and the fact that industry accounts for more than one-third of the final energy consumption in Poland, Upper Silesia is the largest energy consuming region of Poland. The industrial consumers of energy produce such items as machinery, transport equipment, and other iron and steel goods. Additional industrial consumers are the food processing industry and, of course the coal industry, since Upper Silesia is the largest producer and consumer of coal in the nation.
The mining, power, and industrial complex that dominates Upper Silesia has been developed with a focus on large-scale production, without taking into account the efficiency of production, its market value or the associated environmental costs. The difficulty of addressing these concerns in Upper Silesia lies in the sheer scale of the mining-power-industrial complex, which must now be reformed in some fashion to be more economically efficient and environmentally acceptable.
A regional plan has been developed for the Katowice province. Though published in 1990, the plan reflects information collected during in the 1 9801s, and regional planners and officials would now like to revise the plan to consider alternative development strategies for the region. The strategy reflected in the current plan would continue the development of the Katowice mining-power-industrial complex and maintain the region's contribution to the Polish energy economy, while undertaking a major program to mitigate the consequences of these activities within the region. This would be accomplished through various investments, including those aimed at 1) reducing air and water emissions, 2)controlling solid waste disposal, and 3) more effective planning that would balance mine development and urban development.
The alternative strategies under consideration reflect therecognition that the mitigating measures listed above, while necessary, are not sufficient to accomplish the region's goals for reduction of pollution. These alternative strategies would explicitly recognize the importance of reducing pollution resulting from the coal mining process, as well as pollution caused by conversion of coal to energy. This strategy could create conflicts between the regional priority of improved environmental quality and the national need for Upper Silesian hard coal for domestic and export markets. However, it appears likely that some of the older, less productive coal mines and coke plants will be shut down.
Clearly, coalbed methane utilization would benefit the region by helping it to meet its energy needs with a less polluting energy source. One of the most attractive options for coalbed methane use in Upper Silesia is as a substitute for coke oven gas; the pipeline network is already in place, so coalbed methane should be relatively easy to directly transport to existing coke oven gas users, which include residences, commercial buildings and industry. Another utilization opportunity exists in generation of electricity and steam at mine power plants; electrical power is used by all coal mines and thermal heat is supplied to mining communities for district heating. Most mines in Upper Silesia currently generate electricity using coal, while allowing large amounts of methane to be emitted. Power and steam generation is an ideal use for this otherwise wasted methane, displacing coal that pollutes and is in increasingly short supply. The use of mine ventilation air for co-combustion in coal fired boilers at the mine site should also not be overlooked. Each of these options has been discussed previously in this chapter. 3.3.2 LOWER SlLESlAN COAL BASIN
The Lower Silesian Coal Basin lies in the Walbrzych Voivodship. The topography of the province includes flatlands in the north and east, rolling hills in the central areas, and mountains in the south and west along the Czechoslovakia border.The population of the voivodship was about 738,000 in 1988. In contrast to the Katowice province of Upper Silesia, Walbrzych contains large rural areas and a significant rural population. The rural population has been gradually declining, but much of the province retains a rural character.
The LSCB is the oldest and most exploited coal mining region of Poland. Coal mines are the keystone of the regional economy, and today that economy is in trouble; mining continues mostly because of heavy national subsidies to close the gap between production costs (about $55 per ton) and sales price (about $22 per ton).
The region is not as heavily industrialized as Upper Silesia although certain industries such as ceramics, glass, metals, chemicals, and textiles are present. These parts of the regional economy are also in difficulty. Of 50 major enterprises in Walbrzych, comprising the bulk of the region's industry, only three plants had significant employment increases between 1988 and 1990. On the whole, employment decreased by 7.7 percent (6,480 workers) in two years.
The region uses coal for power generation as well as residential heating. There are several coking plants producing coke oven gas for distribution to industrial, commercial, and residential users. Coke oven gas currently accounts for approximately one-half of the gas used, with industry using almost 60 percent of this energy. Many of the coking plants are scheduled to be closed for economic and environmental reasons before the year 2000.
The Walbrzych voivodship has developed a program for restructuring its regional economy, a plan that focuses on the development of tourist-related enterprises, on the dramatic reduction of pollution, and on the recapitalization of industry toward more efficient production of goods competitive in European and other markets. The plan seeks a strategy which combines the special assets of the region--the skilled work force, the existing industrial infrastructure, the scenic values of mountain country, and the proximity to interregional trade routes--into a more efficient and competitive regional economy for the existing population. Voidvodship officials have evinced a keen interest in the potential of coalbed methane to contribute to the restructuring of the Walbrzych regional economy.
It appears that the best strategy for the energy economy in Lower Silesia is one that would restructure the Walbrzych economy but maintain its current scale, and rely on local energy production (as opposed to imported energy) by partially substituting coalbed methane for heavily subsidized hard coal. Thus coal mining would be retained at a level sufficient to retain the regional linkages necessary for restructuring, but coalbed methane would also be utilized, reducing the environmental burden of coal production and consumption.
As in the USCB, the most attractive utilization option for coalbed methane in the Walbrzych region is as a substitute for coke oven gas. Nearly all of the extensive pipeline network present in the region transports coke oven gas, and, as previously noted, it is likely that all of the region's coking plants will be closed by the year 2000. Coalbed methane is a logical substitute for coke oven gas, an energy source upon which Walbrzych is heavily dependent but that exacts a heavy environmental toll and may soon be unavailable.Use of coalbed methane as a substitute for coal at the Victoria mine power plant is also a good option. The existing plant provides electricity and steam for the mine and the nearby community; substitution of coalbed methane would provide welcome environmental benefits. CHAPTER 4
THE ROLE OF COALBED METHANE IN POLAND'S ECONOMY
4.1 INTRODUCTION
As shown in Chapter 3, there are many utilization options for coalbed methane in Poland. In order to evaluate the potential contribution of coalbed methane to Poland's economy, however, it is necessary to assess the impact of coalbed methane development on the energy economy.
The following profile of Poland's economy and energy future is based on information collected from recent reports from the World Bank, the United Nations and the International Energy Agency. Data from and conclusions reached by these groups was used to develop a regional assessment model that is used to postulate future developments in the energy economy of Poland. Comparison of these future scenarios allows assessment of the impacts of: 1) planned restructuring of the energy industry of Poland, and 2) increased recovery and utilization of coalbed methane within the context of that planned restructuring.
Although the analysis presented in this chapter should not be viewed as definitive, it reveals trends which demonstrate that increased development and utilization of coalbed methane will benefit Poland considerably.
4.2 POLAND'S ENERGY ECONOMY PROFILE FROM 1988 TO THE PRESENT
4.2.1 THE NATIONAL ENERGY ECONOMY
The 1988 Enerav Econornv
As with all aspects of the Polish economy, the energy sector is in transition. It is necessary in any modelling exercise to choose a baseline, and since 1988 is the most recent year for which statistics are readily available, it was selected as the base case year. The following discussion summarizes Poland's energy economy in 1988, providing more detail than the energy overview in Chapter 1. It also outlines the profound changes which have taken place (and are currently taking place) since 1988.
In 1988, Poland's gross domestic product was about $76 billion (1990 U.S. dollars), of which about 26 percent represented exports, including exports of manufactured goods and energy in the form of hard coal and coke. Though 1988 energy prices are uncertain due to the effects of subsidies and barter arrangements, the value of the nation's energy exports (mainly hard coal and coke) is estimated at $864 million, about three to four times the value of its energy imports (mainly electricity and natural gas). These values can be misleading, as noted the section entitled "Recent Changes in the Energy Economy" below. Further, these values exclude trade in oil products and energy forms other than hard coal, coke, natural gas and electricity.
The United Nations (1990) reports that 5,291 petajoules (PJ) of energy were produced in Poland in 1988. This includes 4,460 PJ of hard coal, 593 PJ of lignite, 77 PJ of low methane natural gas (LMNG), 58 PJ of high methane natural gas (HMNG), and 6 PJ of oil. As stated in Chapter 1, 193 million tons of hard coal were produced in 1988; of this production, 32.2 million tons were exported. Poland produced 17.4 million tons of coke, of which about 15 percent was exported. Coke oven gas accounted for about 21 percent of the nation's gas requirements, the remainder being met by imported natural gas (53 percent) or domestically produced natural gas (25 percent). Assuming that coalbed methane utilization in 1988 was approximately equal to that in 1989, it represented only 1 percent of the gas consumed in Poland.
Recent Chanaes in the Enerav Economy
As noted above, the 1988 monetary values of exports and imports can be misleading. Most of Poland's trade during 1988 was with former COMECON nations. When the effects of the "transferable rouble" are removed, Poland showed only a small positive energy trade balance in 1988. Hard coal exports account for about eight percent of Poland's hard currency for use in foreign exchange; but since much of Poland's coal production is heavily subsidized, the annual export of hard coal had only a slight economic benefit internally.
According to a World Bank country study (1990a) Poland now faces energy shortages that will affect most aspects of its economy. Energy consumption per unit of output is twice the level of western market economies. This inefficient use of energy is perpetuated by extremely low energy prices. Higher prices will stimulate energy conservation and provide incentives for investment in energy-saving programs. However, important components of a system for monitoring energy consumption and efficiency are missing. For example, most gas distribution systems lack metering devices, the widely used central heating systems lack thermostatic control systems, and specific charges for the amount of heat used are not levied.
As noted in Chapter 1, Poland imports most of its oil and natural gas from the USSR, where political unrest and decaying infrastructure contribute to decreasing reliability as an exporter. The price of gas imported from the Soviet Union has risen sharply since 1988; at present (1991 the Soviet Union is charging $103 (U.S.) per thousand cubic meters (about $3/thousand cubic feet).
According to the International Energy Agency, Poland, in its move to a market economy, is rightly giving priority to reform of energy prices (Oil and Gas Journal, 1991bl. The country is creating a framework that gives enterprises and individuals the incentive to respond to price signals. For example, the Polish Bureau of Geological Concessions has established the following schedule for phasing-in gas prices to reflect true values:
May 1991: 460 zloty/m3 (- $ 40lthousand m3 U.S.) June 199 1 : 1000 zlotylm, ( - $ 9Olthousand m3 U.S.) Dec. 1992: 1800 zlotylm3 ( - $ 160lthousand m3 U.S.) Dec. 1993: median European price
This rationalization of gas prices will help promote natural gas development in Poland because it will finally be attractive to investors. Increased domestic natural gas development will also be beneficial in that every thousand cubic meters of gas produced domestically would currently result in a savings of about $103 that would otherwise be paid to the USSR. Conventional natural gas reserves, however, are limited in Poland and production is declining despite continued exploration.
In addition to declining reserves of conventional natural gas, the citizens and government of Poland are keenly aware that a predominant share of air, water, and soil pollution in their nation is the result of a coal-dependent energy production and supply system. Coal combustion releases several different types of pollutants to the atmosphere, of which the most threatening are SO, and NO,. Coke production releases particularly high amounts of these and other pollutants, some of them highly toxic, into the atmosphere. For a more detailed discussion of Poland's environmental problems, see Appendix B.
While implementation of clean coal technology would help reduce air pollution, it is expensive and difficult for Poland to afford, given its other economic burdens. Therefore, an attractive alternative is to reduce coal production and consumption by developing a domestic source of clean energy.
Accompanying the environmental problems associated with coal mining and combustion is the realization that some coal mines and coking plants are not economically viable in a market economy, as resources are depleted and safety problems increase with mining depth. The World Bank has concluded that economic returns from coal mining are declining. In light of these problems, the Ministry of Industry plans to eliminate all but four coke plants by the year 2000, and to close several hard coal mines.
Plans include shutdown of some uneconomic mines, the creation of joint stock companies that will be responsible for the exploration and development of coal resources, and the subsequent sale of coal that is produced to the developing free market. Outside investment in the coal industry will be important and joint venture operation of the privatized coal mining companies will be possible. The petroleum industry will also be restructured, and privatization will be a necessary step toward efficient exploration, development and transmission of indigenous natural gas supplies.
The potential for job losses resulting from the planned mine closures and other restructuring is causing concern among labor unions. The unions want to see transitional programs such as training of displaced workers, giving them the appropriate skills necessary for a restructured energy economy.
The energy industry will benefit from the April 26, 1991 amendment to the Mining Law of May 61 1953 and the Geological Law of November 16, 1960. These amendments will allow the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Forestry, through the newly created Polish Bureau of Geological Concessions, to grant concessions to foreign companies for the development of energy and mineral resources.
4.2.2 THE UPPER SlLESlA (KATOWICE) REGIONAL ECONOMY
Estimates suggest that the gross regional product (or income) of Upper Silesia was $11 .Ibillion (1990 dollars), of which 54 percent represented exports from the region, including exports of manufactured goods and energy. As with the national economy, 1988 energy prices are uncertain, but the value of the region's energy exports (mainly hard coal and coke) is estimated at $3.6 billion, about 30 times the value of its energy imports (mainly electricity and natural gas). As explained above in the section on the national economy, these export and import values are misleading, as they reflect a centrally planned economy.
An estimated 4,475 petajoules of energy were produced in Upper Silesia in 1988. Locally produced energy for final consumption was supplemented by imports of natural gas and electricity, with the result that regional imports accounted for 24.3 percent of local regional energy consumption.
Upper Silesia produced 189 million tons of hard coal and 5.7 million tons of coke in 1988. About 43 percent of the coke was exported. Coke production in Upper Silesia is only 2-3 percent of the level of production of hard coal, compared to about 15 percent in Lower Silesia. Coke oven gas accounted for about 42 percent of the region's gas requirements, the remainder being met almost entirely by imported natural gas. A very small proportion of the region's gas needs were met by coalbed methane.
Recent changes in the Upper Silesia (Katowice) regional economy are analogous to those described above for the national economy, because this region accounts for the vast majority of the hard coal produced in Poland.
4.2.3 THE LOWER SlLESlA (WALBRZYCH) REGIONAL ECONOMY
Estimates suggest that the gross regional product was $1.5 billion (1990 dollars), of which 31 percent represented exports from the region, including exports of manufactured goods and energy in the form of hard coal and coke. Though 1988 energy prices are uncertain, the value of the region's energy exports (mainly hard coal and coke) is estimated at $28 million, 35 percent above the value of its energy imports (mainly electricity and natural gas). Again, this trade balance is undoubtedly changing as Poland shifts away from a centrally planned economy.
It is estimated that 101 PJ of energy were produced in Lower Silesia in 1988. Locally produced energy for final consumption was supplemented by imports of natural gas and electricity, with the result that regional imports accounted for about 26.6 percent of local final consumption.
In every component except imports, the Walbrzych energy economy was dominated by hard coal, which provided at least 90 percent of the region's energy exports, all the conversion energy for locally produced electricity and coke, and 46 percent of final regional energy consumption.
Lower Silesia produced 2.4 million tons of hard coal in 1988, which was augmented by imports of low sulfur coal for use in power plants and regional consumption. Coke production was 1.6 million tons, of which 23 percent was exported from the region. Coke oven gas associated with coke production accounted for about 31 percent of the region's gas requirements, the remainder being met by imported natural gas. No coalbed methane was utilized in Lower Silesia.
Recent changes in the Lower Silesia (Walbrzych) energy economy will have dramatic effects on the region. The proposed closure of hard coal mines will create severe unemployment problems. Coal mining is the primary industry in Lower Silesia; unlike Upper Silesia, there is little manufacturing in this region, although the raw materials and labor necessary for light manufacturing do exist.
The planned closure of coke ovens will sharply curtail gas availability in Lower Silesia. Furthermore, hard coal is presently being imported from Upper Silesia for coke conversion, as air quality standards cannot be met due to the higher sulfur content of local coal. Unless a new energy source is utilized, local mine closure will force Lower Silesia to import increasing amounts of hard coal from the USCB, creating an additional burden on the regional economy.
POLAND'S ENERGY FUTURE
4.3.1 THE REGIONAL ASSESSMENT MODEL
An economic model was developed to illustrate and assess the potential impact of coalbed methane utilization in Poland. This model was developed in Lotus 1-2-3 and uses statistical data for the year 1988 as the base year to illustrate the effect of the use of hard coal and natural gas on the economy and environment of Poland. To assess the impact of various economic situations that could arise in Poland's future, three courses of action that would change Poland's energy balance were considered and compared for the time period 1988 to 2000.
In order to perform this assessment, certain assumptions were made regarding future energy costs. The assumptions include increases in energy prices that would not destabilize the economy. A study by the World Bank (1990b) indicates that the assumed energy import prices are reasonable projections, and the assumptions are also consistent with energy import price changes outlined in Section 4.2.1.
Capital requirements are not addressed in this model. It is assumed that the costs for development of coalbed methane reserves in Poland are similar those in the United States. Since interest in obtaining concessions for coalbed methane development outside of mining areas has already been demonstrated, it is assumed that the technology for exploration and development of coalbed methane will soon be available in Poland. It is also assumed that natural gas cannot be developed and delivered from the U.S.S.R. at a lower cost than it could be produced and delivered from domestic sources. Otherwise, domestic conventional natural gas reserves would not have been, or continue to be, developed.
The energy forms considered by the regional assessment model as part of an energy balance equation include hard coal, coke, coke oven gas, natural gas and coalbed methane. Lignite and oil are not considered, because they are not as closely linked to hard coal and coalbed methane production as are the other energy forms.
The three possible scenarios are:.
Scenario 1: Energy demand and economic growth continue until the year 2000 much the same way as they did in 1988. Hard coal production increases slightly to accommodate a 2 percent growth in demand that had been programmed into the economy by the Polish Government, which was still centrally planned in 1988. Imported natural gas is used to substitute for the declining production of indigenous natural gas, and it is assumed that both the economy and energy use efficiency1' gradually improve.
Scenario 2: Energy demand growth is mitigated by a substantial increase in energy efficiency, which quickly reaches a level of efficiency near that found in the U.S. Reliance on hard coal is decreased concomitant with the increase in energy efficiency. Hard coal production is decreased and most coke and coke oven gas production is phased out by 2000. It is recognized that some coke will still be produced in the year 2000, but assumed that about 40 percent of the gas will be used in coke oven plants and the remainder will be used in affiliated steel plants (U.S. DOE Energy Information Administration, 1987) so there will be no net surplus contributing to the energy trade balance).
Scenario 3: Energy efficiency and reliance on hard coal is assumed to be identical to Scenario 2, but the use of coalbed methane is assumed to increase. Two sub-cases are evaluated:
Scenario 3a: Coalbed methane utilization increases moderately so that by the year 2000, 5.0 billion cubic meters of coalbed methane is being produced annually (about the same amount as was liberated in 1988). Some of this methane is recovered from
"In Scenario 1, energy efficiency is assumed to increase from 69 terajoules per $ million (U.S.) (TJISM) of Gross National Product in 1988 to 47 TJISM in 2000. In Scenarios 2 and 3, energy efficiency is assumed to increase from 69 TJISM in 1988 to 29 TJISM in 2000. These are reasonable numbers when compared with the actual 1990 U.S. energy efficiency of 21 TJISM (Beck, 1991). mining operations through the use of the integrated recovery program described earlier; the remainder is recovered from coal seams in non-mining areas. This sub-case assumes that the Polish government is not aggressively promoting coalbed methane utilization; rather, its production is stimulated by mining incentives such as reduced mine ventilation costs and increased safety, and by the activities of international companies interested in developing coalbed methane resources in non-mining concessions in Poland.
Scenario 3h: In this case, coalbed methane utilization is assumed to increase rapidly, reaching 1 1.5 billion cubic meters annually by the year 2000. This aggressive scenario assumes that 80 percent of the methane liberated during mining is recovered, and that large-scale projects are developed to tap the resource in areas lying beyond the mines. To realize this production level, the Polish government would need to place a high priority on coalbed methane development, including it as part of its energy industry restructuring.
4.3.2 RESULTS OF THE REGIONAL ASSESSMENT MODEL
In assessing the economic and environmental impact of coalbed methane development for Poland, is important to bear in mind that oil and lignite were not included in the model. Thus, actual experience will probably be somewhat different than is predicted by this model. Examination of the results of this analysis can provide important information about the direction and potential magnitude of the impacts associated with coalbed methane development, however.
Scenario 1: Base Case
As shown in Table 15 and Figure 15, under this scenario the overall economy is still heavily coal dependent over the period 1988-2000. It is assumed that energy efficiency, however, will gradually increase, causing energy consumption per unit of GNP to fall by 32 percent (from 69 TJISM to 47 TJISM). Coal production increases slightly, from 193 to 194 million tons (less than 1 percent) over this period, and domestic coal consumption decreases slightly due to improving energy efficiency. These efficiency improvements enable Poland to maintain is coal exports under this scenario.
The assumed efficiency gains are driven by a significant increase in the cost of energy imports, particularly natural gas. Overall, imported gas costs are assumed to increase from S3'4lthousand cubic meters to S 100/thousand cubic meters (a 194 percent increase) and total expenditures for natural gas imports from $260 million to $949 million (a 265 percent increase).
In part, the increasing cost of imports has a significant impact on Poland's economy because domestic gas production is expected to decline between 1988-2000. As mentioned previously, domestic gas production has been falling in recent years due to declining reserves. In this analysis, it was assumed that domestic production would drop by 5 percent annually, or 53 percent between 1988 and 2000 under this base case scenario. Energy efficiency improvements can reduce gas demand somewhat, but imports would still increase by an estimated 2 billion cubic meters from 1988-2000 to satisfy Poland's energy needs. Figure 16 illustrates the changes in Poland's gas sources under this scenario and particularly the shift to imports.
FIGURE 15. PROJECTED SHIFTS IN HARD COAL AND GAS CONSUMPTlON BY 2000
I 1988 SCENARIO 1 SCENARIO 2 SCENARIO 3A SCENARIO 38 I COAL GAS I (0 INCLUDES COKE OVEN QAS) I
I FIGURE 16. PROJECTED SHIFTS IN GAS CONSUMPTION BY 2000 I
I 1988 SCENARIO 1 SCENARIO 2 SCENARIO 3A SCENARIO 38 I
COKE OVEN GAS t:iiiiil DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS IMPORTED NATURAL GAS COALBED METHANE Environmentally, this scenario does not represent a major improvement for Poland. Because of a slight drop in coal combustion due to energy efficiency, emissions of pollutants associated with coal conversion and combustion are slightly reduced. Methane emissions associated with mining increase by about 1 percent, however, because of increased coal production. Overall, all pollutant emissions are reduced by about 3 percent. a Scenario 2: Environmental Protection Without Coalbed Methane
Poland's environmental and energy situation ldoks more favorable under Scenario 2, which reflects the government's current plans for restructuring its energy sector. Under this scenario, which emphasizes aggressive energy efficiency improvements, energy consumption per GNP is assumed to drop by 58 percent (from 69 TJISM to 29 TJISM) between 1988 and 2000. To a large extent, these changes will be driven by the rationalization of energy prices which will result in dramatic price increases for all energy commodities and provide significant incentives to conserve.
Increased energy efficiency will result in significantly lower coal and coke production and consumption, as shown in Table 15. Coal production, for example, is forecast to fall by 38 percent (or 73 million tons) by 2000. There will be less hard coal and coke available for export (although some will continue to be exported because it is an important source of hard currency), so revenue from these exports will be reduced by 73 percent. Coke oven gas production for general consumption will be reduced to zero by 2000, in keeping with the government's announced plans. These decreases will be accompanied by a major reduction in domestic gas production (1.4 billion cubic meters or 26 percent) and a major increase in natural gas imports. As shown in Figure 16, natural gas imports are assumed to increase from 7.5 to 14.9 billion cubic meters (97 percent) between 1988 and 2000 to replace coal, coke oven gas, and domestic gas production.
This scenario results in significant improvements in environmental conditions because of the reduction of overall energy consumption and the shift from coal and coke to natural gas. SO, emissions, for example, fall by 40 percent. Methane emissions decrease as a result of decreased coal and coke production. The cost of this program, in terms of Poland's balance of payments, is very high, however, because of the need to increase energy imports. It is estimated that Poland would spend an additional $174 million in this scenario, as compared to Scenario 1, on energy imports to improve its environment. Decreased coal exports further contribute to a high net energy trade deficit.
Scenario 3: Coalbed Methane Production
Scenario 3 illustrates the implications of coalbed methane development for Poland's economy and environment. Poland's energy efficiency under this scenario is assumed to be the same as in Scenario 2. As in Scenario 2, there is a significant shift from coal to natural gas under this case.
The significance of this new scenario, however, can be seen in Figure 16, which illustrates how Poland's natural gas sources would be affected by coalbed methane development. As the figure indicates, coalbed methane has two important impacts on Poland's gas sources:
a First, natural gas imports are dramatically reduced under this case. In the low case (where it is assumed that 5 billion cubic meters of coalbed methane is produced in the year 2000), gas imports are reduced by 2.6 billion cubic meters as compared with Scenario 2. The results are even more dramatic under the high case, where the assumed production of 11.5 billion cubic meters of coalbed methane results in a decrease of gas imports by 4.4 billion cubic meters.
Second, coaibed methane production also results in lower domestic natural gas production. In Scenario 2, it was assumed that domestic natural gas production would increase to compensate for reductions in coal production. This increased production would require extensive investment, however, and it is likely that this capital could be more effectively spent developing coalbed methane resources. In the low and high coalbed methane cases, therefore, it is assumed that domestic gas production would not increase as much as observed in Scenario 2.
The reduction in natural gas imports has important economic implications for Poland. Poland's net energy trade balance is negative in Scenarios 2 and 3, because of increased gas imports and lower coal exports. But when compared to Scenario 2, Scenario 3 shows relative revenue increases of $460 to $550 million, depending on the amount of coalbed methane produced. The costs of imported energy are largely responsible for the improved energy trade balance in Scenario 3; expenditures for imported natural gas decrease by an estimated $149 million to $245 million (57 to 94 percent).
The environmental benefits realized by Scenario 3 are similar to Scenario 2 with one important addition. In Scenario 3 it is assumed that much of the coalbed methane liberated by mining is recovered from Poland's coal mines, thereby resulting in a dramatic reduction in atmospheric methane emissions. These aggressive methane recovery scenarios assume that integrated methane recovery systems are used and that 70 percent of the methane liberated is recovered. Interestingly, this methane recovery has additional positive environmental impacts because of reductions in the amount of energy needed to ventilate the coal mines to maintain safe mining conditions.
4.3.3 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Conclusions
Based on the preceding analysis of the three scenarios, it is clear that coalbed methane can make significant contributions to Poland's energy mix and environment. With the aggressive methane development program assumed in Scenario 3, Poland is able to meet its environmental objectives at lower cost than under Scenario 2. Emissions of many key pollutants are lowered, high levels of energy efficiency are maintained, and Poland's energy trade balance is positive through the displacement of imported gas with a new domestic gas resource.
To summarize the key findings, this simple analysis indicates that coalbed methane production levels of 5 to 1 1.5 billion cubic meters annually could:
Reduce natural gas imports by 2.6 to 4.4 billion cubic meters annually
Improve Poland's energy trade balance, which is estimated to be a deficit of $881 million if Poland pursues environmental protection without coaibed methane, but a reduced deficit of $428 million to $338 million if domestic coalbed methane resources are developed; Significantly reduce emissions of SO,, NO,, particulates, and CO,; and,
Significantly reduce emissions of methane, thereby helping to mitigate global warming.
Achievement of the levels of coalbed methane production assumed in this analysis, particularly in the high case, would require a concerted, near-term program by the Polish government and industry. As discussed in the next chapter, several types of actions and programs should be considered to encourage development of Poland's coalbed methane resources.
The benefits of coalbed methane development will be realized regardless of the levels of production Poland is able to achieve. A comparison of the high and low coalbed methane scenarios indicates that the benefits will increase with increased coalbed methane production. Even if these production levels are not achieved, however, the Polish economy and environment will be proportionately improved. Clearly, a moderate increase in coalbed methane utilization is preferable to no increase at all, and an aggressive program will have the most favorable impacts.
Recommendations
While a moderate increase in coalbed methane utilization is preferable to no increase at all, it is apparent that aggressive development (eg. 11.5 billion cubic meters by the year 2000) could greatly improve Poland's economic stability. In order to increase methane utilization from its current low levels to 11.5 billion cubic meters annually in just nine years, the Polish government and energy industry must make a concerted effort to promote coalbed methane utilization. This will require giving priority to coalbed methane development in its energy industry restructuring program, and providing incentives, as the U.S. did with its Non-Conventional Fuel Tax Credit. This tax incentive was instrumental in getting large-scale coalbed methane development programs underway, however many coalbed methane wells are now producing economically without the benefit of this credit.
On a regional level, the strategy for the improving energy economy in Lower Silesia deserves special consideration, because of this area's extreme dependence on hard coal mining. The best strategy is one that would restructure the Walbrzych economy but maintain its current scale, and rely on local energy production (as opposed to imported energy) by partially substituting coalbed methane for heavily subsidized hard coal. Thus coal mining would be retained at a level sufficient to maintain the regional linkages necessary for restructuring, but coalbed methane would also be utilized, reducing national subsidy costs and the environmental burden of coal production and consumption.
CHAPTER 5
CASE STUDIES
5.1 INTRODUCTION
Three mining concessions were selected as potential "case study" sites for demonstrating the economic feasibility of coalbed methane utilization: the Victoria Concession, the Brzeszcze Concession, and the Halemba Concession.
The Victoria Concession, located in the LSCB, was selected because of its high methane emissions and the need for a new, clean energy source in the community near the mine, which currently depends on coke oven gas. Presently, none of the methane from the Victoria mine is being utilized. Similarly, the Brzeszcze Concession was selected because of its high methane emissions, as well as its proximity to a potential reservoir for underground injection of water produced from coal mines and coalbed methane wells. Currently, the Brzeszcze mine recovers (drains) 32 percent of the methane it liberates and uses 60 percent of the recovered gas. Overall, 40 percent of the recovered methane and 81 percent of the total liberated methane is emitted to the atmosphere. The Halemba Concession was also selected because of its high methane emissions, opportunities for increased methane utilization, and proximity to a potential reservoir for underground injection of water produced from coal mines and coalbed methane wells. Currently, the Halemba mine recovers 30 percent of the methane it liberates and uses 19 percent of the recovered gas. Overall, 81 percent of the recovered methane and 94 percent of the total methane liberated is emitted to the atmosphere. j2
5.2. I PRESENT CONDITIONS
Introduction
The Victoria Mine Concession is located in the northern part of the Lower Silesian Coal Basin near the city of Walbrzych (Figure 8). The Victoria Mine, like the other two major coal mines in the area, apparently commenced operations prior to 1800 so Walbrzych, currently with 141,400 inhabitants, developed around these mines, and the Victoria Mine is the center of a complex of power plants, coke plants, industries, and urban housing.
Coal Production and Reserves
The Victoria Concession covers approximately 39 km2. Like other Polish coal mine concessions, the Victoria concession contains a number of shafts that are used for functions such as transporting workers, hauling equipment, coal, and waste rock, removing water, and ventilating the workings. Coal types within the concession range from high volatile B bituminous to semi-anthracite, and is classified as suitable for energykteam production, coking, and "special" uses. The modified longwall method is used at the Victoria mine because steeply dipping beds prevent fully mechanized longwall mining.
l2 These numbers may be conservative as they are derived from official emission estimates Coal production increased from 432 thousand tons in 1987 to 846 thousand tons in 1989. In light of the prevailing national situation, however,coal production likely declined in 1990. Coal characteristics, production, and reserves are summarized in Table 16.
TABLE 16. SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE VICTORIA MINE CONCESSION COAL CLASSIFICATION (PERCENTAGE), 1988
High Volatile Bituminous 17.2 Medium Volatile Bituminous 28.9 Low Volatile Bituminous 14.7 Semi-Anthracite 39.2
COAL PRODUCTION (THOUSAND TONS)
1987 432 1988 430 1989 846
DOCUMENTED COAL RESERVES (THOUSAND TONS) 1988
Demonstrated 58,110 Inferred 142.459
TOTAL RESERVES 200,569
APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM MINING DEPTH (METERS) 61 0
Source: MEPNRF, 1988-1990
Power Generation
The Victoria mine operates 5 pulverized coal-fired steam boilers that have a total electrical generating capacity of 113 MW. Thermal energy in the form of hot water and steam is supplied to several local factories and a minor amount to the town of Walbrzych. The total electricity generated in 1988 was 156.8 gigawatt hours (GWh).
The plant's boilers and steam turbines were installed between 1937 and 1957 and are in need of modernization and pollution control equipment. Only one of the five boilers is equipped with an electrostatic precipitator (ESP) to control particulate emissions. Current particulate emissions exceed existing environmental regulations by roughly ten times.
The total electrical power utilized in the Walbrzych voivodship was 1.94 billion kilowatt hours in 1988. Industrial customers used 70 percent of this energy, residential users 20 percent and commercial users only 10 percent. Of the electrical energy used by industry, coal mines account for almost 30 percent.
Gas Production
Two coke plants in the Walbrzych voivodship produce and distribute coke-oven gas. The coke gas quality averages about 17.6 kJ/m3, which is equivalent to a gas quality of about 50 percent methane. Natural gas is supplied to this region through the low methane natural gas system, which contains about 55-65 percent methane.
In 1988, the coke gas production and utilization was 177 mill/on cubic meters. Residential users accounted for 94 million cubic meters (53 percent), industrial users for 75 million cubic meters (42 percent), and commercial users the remaining 4 percent.
Natural gas use in 1988 was 94 million cubic meters. lndustry accounted for 87 million cubic meters (93 percent). The remaining natural gas was used by residential users (7 percent) with commercial use of less than 1 percent. Town gas production and utilization in 1988 was 34.6 million cubic meters. Residential users consumed 92 percent of the town gas.
Industry accounted for 58 percent of the total gas heat used. Residences used 39 percent of the gas heat and commercial buildings only about 3 percent. Coke oven gas accounted for 51 percent of the final gas heat, natural gas accounted for 39 percent and town gas for 10 percent.
According to 1985 data from the Central Mining Institute, water discharged from the Victoria mine were all Group I, meaning that the chloride and sulfate content is low (see Appendix B for Polish classification of discharged mine water). The chloride and sulfate content in water from the Barbara Shaft is 290 mgll; and from the Witold Shaft, 90 mgll. Thus stream discharge of mine water, the current disposal practice, appears to be environmentally sound. Streams near the mine are not severely polluted, but do contain total dissolved solids (TDS) and chloride concentrations above limits acceptable in the United States. Coal waste piles and industries other than coal mining could be contributing to the slightly high mineral content.
Methane Emissions. Reserves, and Recoverv
According to the Central Mining Institute, the Victoria mine is ranked highest in LSCB methane emissions, with approximately 16.5 million cubic meters13 emitted to the atmosphere in 1989 (Table 8). The mine is methane class IV (most dangerous). Since mining depth is increasing, methane emissions are probably also increasing.
Based on a calculated emission rate of 41.8 cubic meters per ton of coal mined in 1988 and documented coal reserves, it is estimated that 8.3 billion cubic meters of methane is contained in the coal seams above 1500 m. Additional reserves exist below 1500 m. All of this methane will be released to the atmosphere during mining if mining continues and recovery systems are not developed. If an integrated, multistage recovery system is implemented, it is estimated that more than 6.6 billion cubic meters of methane could be produced from coal lying above 1500 m.
13~hisnumber may be conservative as it is an official emission estimate
65 5.2.2 PROJECT TYPES
Mine Ventilation Air Use
There are two mine ventilation shafts at the Victoria coal mine located within about 2-3 km of the mine's coal-fired boilers. These shafts, known as "Jozef" and "Wiktor", are reported to emit about 7.2 million cubic meters of methane per year. If the concentration of methane in this air is above 0.5 percent on average, it may be feasible to transpon the ventilation air to the coal boilers to be used as combustion air.
At a 0.5 percent methane concentration, the ventilation air would supply about one-third to one-half of the total plant combustion air requirement or all of the air needed for several individual boilers, and would supply approximately 7 percent of the boiler's energy. Use of ventilation air would displace approximately 11,000 tons of coal per year, in addition to reducing particulate and sulfur dioxide emissions.
The feasibility of using ventilation air in this manner will require an evaluation to accurately determine methane concentrations, ventilation air flows, combustion air requirements, air transportation distances, competitive energy costs, and project capital cost requirements.
Cofirina in Existina Boilers
Cofiring recovered methane in the existing Victoria mine boilers could represent another highly feasible method to take advantage of variable quality methane resources; almost any gas quality recovered by mine drainage techniques could be utilized. The existing boiler system could utilize as much as 1 million cubic meters of 100 percent methane gas per day, although cofiring could be accomplished with as little as little as 1 percent methane (ventilation air).
Cofiring these boilers could help them meet the existing environmental regulations without adding pollution control equipment. In addition, cofiring might extend unit life and improve boiler efficiency.
It is estimated that gas cofiring equipment could be installed on the Victoria boilers for about $500,000 to $1 million. The feasibility of this approach depends on the quantity of gas available, gas quality, the distance from the gathering points to the boilers, the competitive energy costs (coal), and the project capital requirement and project life.
Gatherina and Distribution
The Victoria mine has an operating coke oven gas plant and gas distribution system, but this plant may be closed for economic and environmental reasons. If the coke plant closes, gas supply shortages are likely, particularly for regional industries that depend on this source of fuel.
Coalbed methane developed from pre-mine (Stage I), in-seam (Stage Ill, or post-mining (Stage Ill) recovery techniques could be suitable for distribution through the coke oven gas system. In most cases, coalbed methane quality would be higher than the coke oven gas quality, which would permit transportation of greater amounts of heat using existing pipelines and gas compression equipment. This approach to gas utilization is attractive for several reasons. First, the distance from the gathering point (the mine) to the coke oven gas system is relatively short, so transportation costs would be low. Second, the coke oven gas system may soon lose supply due to coke plant closings, and the immediate availability of a similar or higher quality fuel could sustain industrial customers until natural gas supplies can be increased or further coalbed methane development can take place. Third, the current coke gas customers are already equipped to burn medium quality fuel, so medium quality coalbed methane could be supplied to this system without disrupting customer operations.
The second option would be to transmit the coalbed methane through the low methane natural gas system, which has a methane content of 55 to 65 percent. Methane content could be maintained at the desired concentration through quality monitoring and blending. Distribution through this system would be advantageous due to its access to a larger distribution network. The costs of supplying gas to this system will likely be higher due to need for quality monitoring and potentially longer distances to reach this system.
~~owerina/Modernizationof the Victoria Power Plant
The Victoria power plant, including all of its boilers, is in need of modernization. Coalbed methane could be used to cost-effectively address this need. A number of different approaches may be feasible:
1. Cofire or convert the existing furnaces to methane. This would reduce or eliminate coal utilization, thereby reducing the costs associated with pollution control. In addition, by converting the boilers to gas, coal-firing equipment such as coal feeders, pulverizers, coal burners, and ash handling and disposal equipment would not be required. Therefore, the plant could focus its available resources on modernizing the remaining boiler equipment.
2. Repower the existing system using a new gas turbine combined with an existing furnace to provide for heat recovery and using an existing steam turbine. Further modernization could be approached in separate phases. When boiler or steam turbine life cannot be extended any further, these eomponents could be replaced individually.
3. The final option for plant modernization involves constructing an entirely new facility using a gas turbine with heat recovery steam boiler used for cogeneration or a combined cycle. Construction of a new plant may permit relocation of the facility to a site that is more environmentally acceptable and more accessible for coalbed methane development. Relocation of the facility might also provide better access to the mine ventilation air shafts to facilitate use of this air.
Water Dis~osal
The chemistry of water produced from coalbed methane wells should likely be similar to that discharged from the Victoria mine, and therefore sufficiently fresh to permit stream discharge. However, in developing any project it will be important to carefully monitor water quality near disposal points. Any indication that coalbed methane water is negatively affecting stream quality should be addressed by implementing of other disposal methods, such as underground injection (if geologically feasible) or treatment prior to stream discharge. 5.3 BRZESZCZE MINE CASE STUDY
5.3.1 PRESENT CONDITIONS
Introduction
The Brzeszcze Mine Concession is located in the southeastern part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Figure 9) adjacent to the community of Bneszczyce and 20 km northeast of the city of Biala-Bielsko (population 179,600). The mine commenced production prior to 1945.
Coal Production and Reserves
The Brzeszcze Concession occupies an area of about 20 km2. Coal rank ranges from subbituminous to high volatile bituminous. Brzeszcze was ranked the 26th highest coal producing mine in 1987 and 15th in 1988.
Coal production was 3 million tons in 1987 and almost 3.9 million tons in 1988; in 1989 it decreased to 3.6 million tons. Given the overall condition of Poland's coal industry, it is presumed that coal production decreased again in 1990, and that methane emissions stayed at about the same, or at a slightly increased level, during the same period. Key characteristics pertaining to coal production and reserves are summarized in Table 17.
TABLE 17. SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE BRZESZCZE MlNE CONCESSION L COAL PRODUCTION (THOUSAND TONS)
1987 3,034 1988 3,854 1989 3,613
DOCUMENTED COAL RESERVES (THOUSAND TONS) 1988
Demonstrated 141,415 Inferred 281.735
TOTAL RESERVES 423,150
APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM MINING DEPTH (METERS) 740
- Source: MEPNRF, 1988-1990 Power Generation
The Brzeszcze mine concession operates five steam generators with a total thermal capacity of 106.2 MW, or an estimated 40 MW of electrical generating capacity. Water Dis~osal
The chemistry and volume of Group 3 and 4 mine waters (see Appendix B) currently being discharged to USCB streams (Central Mining Institute, 1985), is shown in Table B-1, where it can be seen that the chloride and sulfate content of this water is 8410 mg/l. Stream disposal of Brzeszcze mine water is detrimental to the environment.
Methane Emissions. Reserves. and Recovery
According to the Central Mining Institute, the Brzeszcze mine is ranked second highest in the USCB in the amount of methane liberated annually. In 1989, approximately 45.1 million cubic meters were drained from the mine, and 96.1 million cubic meters were vented for a total of 141.2 million cubic meters liberated. Of this total, 26.7 million cubic meters were utilized (18.9 percent of the total amount liberated). Therefore, 18 million cubic meters of recovered methane and 114.5 million cubic meters total methane were emitted to the atmosphere in 198914. It is a Class 1V methane mine.
Based on calculated emissions of 30.71 cubic meters per ton of coal mined in 1988 and documented coal reserves, it is estimated that 12.9 billion cubic meters of methane occur in coal seams above 1500 m. Additional reserves exist below 1500 m. Although a recovery system is in place, there are opportunities to expand the in-mine (Stage II and Ill) recovery systems and implement a pre-mining (Stage I) vertical borehole recovery system, and a Stage IV, ventilation air recovery and transport system.
5.3.2 PROJECT TYPES
Mine Ventilation Air Use
The Brzeszcze mine emits a very large amount of methane from its ventilation system (Stage IV) that could be used as combustion air in existing coal-fired boilers. Assuming-that the ventilation air contains 1 percent methane, the existing boiler plant could utilize approximately 15 percent of the current ventilation air as combustion air. The ventilation air would supply at least 14 percent of the boiler energy and use approximately 14 million cubic meters of methane annually. The use of the ventilation air would also displace approximately 20,000 tons per year of hard coal consumed by this plant in addition with the associated reductions in air pollution.
Increasing the use of pre-mining (Stages I and 11) and post-mining (Stage Ill) degasification would reduce the amount of methane emitted through the ventilation system. As this is achieved, it should be possible for the mine to reduce the volume of ventilation air, thereby reducing the electrical power consumed to operate the ventilation system. It has been estimated that conventional pre-mining and post-mining degasification techniques could remove as much as 85 percent of the methane liberated during mining. The remaining 15 percent would be emitted during mining through the ventilation system. Based on these estimates for methane recovery, it appears that the existing boiler plant could utilize a significant amount of the ventilation air once pre- and post-mining degasification techniques are fully implemented.
l4 These numbers may be conservative as they are derived from official emission estimates
69 Cofirina in Existina Boilers
The existing mine enterprise recovers approximately 45 million cubic meters of methane annually through horizontal degasification techniques but vents more than 18 million cubic meters of this methane. The existing boiler plant could utilize this 18 million cubic meters of methane by cofiring with coal. This recovered methane could supply approximately 25 percent of the energy required to operate the plant and displace more than 27,000 tons of hard coal per year. Combining this energy with the methane contained in the mine ventilation air, it appears feasible to supply almost 40 percent of the boiler plant energy using wasted methane, thereby displacing more than 37,000 tons of hard coal consumption annually.
Utilization of Additional Produced Coalbed Methane
Implementation of pre- and post-mining (Stages I and Ill)degasification techniques using surface wells will result in the production of larger volumes of medium to high quality gas and reduced volumes of low concentration methane contained in ventilation air. A complete program could result in the production of more than 120 million cubic meters of medium to high quality methane per year and only 21 million cubic meters of methane emitted from mine ventilation systems.
The densely populated and industrialized Upper Silesian region provides a large number of utilization opportunities that have been discussed previously and include: distribution through existing coke-oven gas or natural gas systems, direct transportation to an existing industrial end-user, development of a small local distributing company or power generation in existing generating units.
The existing Brzeszcze power plant could utilize more than 70 million cubic meters per year of methane. Therefore, the power plant could use about 60 percent of the medium to high quality gas developed. However, greater economic return for the high quality gas might be achieved by selling it to nearby industries as an alternative to imported natural gas rather than coal.
Water Dis~osal
Water produced from coalbed methane wells drilled near the Brzeszcze mine would be similar in composition to that currently being produced by the mine, which has a high chloride and sulfate content. As noted previously, underground injection is usually the most economical and environmentally sound method of contaminated water disposal.
It appears that geological conditions in the Brzeszcze area may be conducive to underground injection. This method requires a reservoir of permeable rock that is isolated from fresh water aquifers by impermeable rock. At least two such reservoirs may exist in the Brzeszcze area. The shallower but probably smaller of the two lies in sandstones of the lower Carboniferous section and the deeper, potentially larger reservoir is in Cambrian sandstones.
The Central Mining Institute (CMI) is preparing a report on the underground injection potential of Lower Carboniferous sandstones in the Brzeszcze and Jastrebie areas. It is believed that sandstones in the lower part of the Namurian-aged Ruda Beds (Figure 8) approximately 1000 m deep, are sufficiently permeable to merit testing and underground injection.
The potential of deeper formations for underground injection has not been investigated, but the thickness of Lower Devonian and Lower Cambrian sandstones, particularly in the southeastern part of the USCB, is considerable. Figure 17 shows the thickness of the Lower Devonian and Cambrian section in 12 boreholes. Borehole locations having the notation "B" are those where underlying Proterozoic "basement" rock was encountered, meaning that drilling penetrated the entire thickness of the Lower Devonian and Cambrian section present. Those not marked with a "B" did not encounter "basement" rock and thus the actual thickness of the Lower Devonian and Cambrian in these boreholes is greater than indicated. Lower Devonian and Cambrian sandstones exist in other parts of the basin, but since data is limited to these twelve boreholes it is assumed for now that Lower Devonian and Cambrian sandstones are limited to the area defined by these existing boreholes. The isopachs (lines of equal thickness) in Figure 17 indicate that some of the thickest Lower Devonian and Cambrian section is located just south and southwest of the Bneszcze concession. Even if only ten percent of the thickness has sufficient porosity and permeability for injection to be feasible, it would still be a thicker injection zone than any found in the San Juan Basin of Colorado and New Mexico, where underground injection programs are highly successful.
Data sufficient to estimate the volume of the Lower Carboniferous sandstone reservoir was not obtained. Presumably, Lower Carboniferous strata could provide a significant additional contribution.
In the absence of detailed data on the thickness and hydrogeologic characteristics of Upper Silesian coal-bearing sandstone formations, the amount of water that would be produced by coalbed methane wells in the Brzeszcze concession can be estimated by comparison to water production figures for coalbed methane wells in the United States and, to be conservative, assuming that Upper Silesian Basin wells would produce volumes of water comparable to the maximum amounts produced in the United States. To date, the greatest volume of water produced by a coalbed methane well in the U.S. is about 320 m3/day. Water production usually tapers off after a few years, but wells producing high amounts of water could be expected to yield 500,000 m3 during their lifetime.
Conservatively assuming that only 1I10 of the thickness of the Cambrian sandstone is suitable for injection, and using data from the San Juan basin as an analogy, 1 krn2 of sandstone can typically take in 155,200 m3of disposed water. The Brzeszcze concession, with an approximate area of 20.6 km2, could accommodate 3.2 million cubic meters of disposed water. Thus the Lower Devonian and Cambrian sandstone underlying the Brzeszcze concession alone could contain all the water produced by six high water output coalbed methane wells, or all of the Group 3 and 4 mine water discharged from the Brzeszcze mine in one year (see Appendix B for Polish mine water classification). Such a scenario is hypothetical, but it serves to illustrate the tremendous potential capacity of the Lower Devonian and Cambrian even in a small area.
It would, of course, not be necessary or practical to restrict the disposal area to the confines of the concession boundary, so the Lower Devonian and Cambrian in the greater Brzeszcze area could contain more than 3.2 million cubic meters of water. In addition, Lower Carboniferous sandstones could considerably increase the total underground injection potential of the area.
In addition to sufficient porosity and permeability, the water naturally contained in potential reservoirs would have to be chemically compatible with the disposal waters to avoid chemical precipitation. Furthermore, the amount of water that can be injected depends on the hydrostatic pressure of the receiving formation; the pressure must be low enough to allow compressibility of the water within the reservoir. These characteristics can only be evaluated by drilling test wells. Based on data from the Goczalkowice IG 1 well (Cebulak et al, 1982) located 12 km southwest of the Bneszcze concession (Figure 171, an injection test of the Cambrian in the Brzeszcze area would require drilling to a depth of approximately 3050 m. It would be practical to drill at least some of the coalbed methane test wells proposed for the Brzeszcze area to the Cambrian so that they could be injection tested. The injection potential of Lower Carboniferous sandstones should be tested at the same time. KEY TO MINING CONCESSION NAMES ,-----\ FIGURE 17. THICKNESS OF LOWER 1. KO*. PSTROWSKI 61. KOP. CZECZOlT /- 4- 2. KOP. MlECHOWlCE 62. KOP. BRZESZCZE -C DEVONIAN AND CAMBRIAN SECTION 3. KOP. WWSTANCOW SUSKICH - 63. KOP. SILESU 4. KOP. BOBREK M. KOP. RYOULTOWY ) IN BOREHOLES, UPPER SlLESlAN COAL 6. KOP. CENTRUM 66. KOP. RYMER 6. KOP. SZOMBIERKI 66. KOP. CHWALOWICE / ' BASIN, POLAND 7. KOP. JULUN 67. KOP. ZMP 0. KOP. ROZBARK 68. KOP. KRUMNSKI 8. KOP. ANOALUUA ISUSZECI 10. KOP. JOWlSZ 69. KOP. ANNA 11. KOP. SlEMlANOWlCE 60. KOP. MARCEL *rmOXMATE WUNDARY OF THE UMT 12. KOP. GRODZIEC 61. KO?. JANKOWICE / 13. KOP. CZERWONA GWARDIA 62. KOP. BORYNU ISATURNI 83. KOP. XXX.LECIA PRL / 14. KOP. GENERAL UWAOZKI IPNIOWEKI IPARVZI 64. KOP. 1 MAJA 16. KOP. SOSNOWIEC 66. KOP. JASTrUEBIE ' 16. KOP. CZERWONE ZAGLEBIE 66. KOP. MANIFEST LIPCOWY IPORABKA KLIMONTOWI lZOFlOWKAl 17. KOP. KAZIMIERZ JULIUS2 67. KOP. MOSZCZENICA 10. KOP. GLlWlCE 60. KOP. KACZYCE 10. KOP. SOSNICA IMORCINEKI 20. SOP. MAKOSZOWY 69. 00 PANIOWKI 21. KOP. ZABRZE.BIELSZOWICE 70. 0G CHUDOW 22. KOP. WAWEL 71. UNOEVELOPED FIELD 23. KOP. POKOJ 72. UNDEVELOPED FIELD 24. KOP. HALEMBA 73. UNDEVELOPED FIELO 26. KOP. SUSK I1 26. KOP. NOWY WIREK 27. KOP. SLASK I 28. KOP. IIARBAPA-CHORZOW 29. KOP. GOlTWALD KLEOFAS 30. KOP. WUJEK 31. KOP. POLSKA 32. KOP. KATOWICE 33. KOP. STASZIC
37. KOP. NIWKA-MODRZEJOW 38. KOP. KOMUNA PARYSKA 39. KOP. JAWORZNO 40. KOP. SIERSZA APPROXIMATE BOUNDARY OF THE USC 41. KOP. KNUROW 42. KOP. SZCZYGLOWICE 43. KOP. DEBIENSKO 44. KOP. BUDRYK 45. KOP. BOLESUW SMIALY 46. KOP. BARBARA DOS 47. KOP. MURCKI 48. KOP. ZlEMOWlT 49. KOP. JANINA 60. KOP. PlAST
EXPLANATION KETY 7 LOCATION OF BOREHOLE B BASEMENT ROCK ENCOUNTERED IN DRILLING 213 THICKNESS OF DEVONIAN AND CAMBRIAN SECTION (m) DATA GRlDDED AND CONTOURED USING THE KRlGlNG METHOD (SEE APPENDIX C) CONTOUR INTERVALS
?Z%%%Tx 400 -480 ##W#tk 480 - 560 '////////A 560 - 640 A\\ 640 - 720
! The cost of drilling and injection testing a 3050 m well in the United States is approximately $1.2 million, excluding rig transportation time that is typically $135lhour. If the test proves that injection is feasible, the surface facilities necessary to accommodate disposal of 1590 m3 of water (via one injection well) would cost about 5700,000 in the U.S.
The Brzeszcze concession could serve not only as an area for coalbed methane production and water disposal, but also as a pilot site for underground injection of mine waste water.
5.4 HALEMBA MINE CASE STUDY
5.4.1 PRESENT CONDITIONS
Introduction
The Halemba Mine Concession is located in the northwest quarter of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Figure 9), approximately 1.5 km from the town of Halemba and 3 km south of the southwestern portion of the greater Katowice area urban complex, which is home to at least 600,000 inhabitants. The mine commenced operation in 1957.
Coal Production and Reserves
The Halemba concession area occupies about 1 1 km2.The coal is of subbituminous to medium volatile bituminous rank, and the mine was second in both coal production and mining depth in 1988.
Coal production was 5.7 million tons in 1987, increased to almost 5.8 million tons in 1988, and decreased to 5.3 million tons in 1989. Judged by total national production, the coal output probably fell in 1990. Key characteristics pertaining to coal production and reserves are summarized in Table 18.
Power Generation
The Halemba Power Station produces 860 tons of steam per hour from four pulverized coal-fired boilers. The total generating capacity of the plant is 200 MW of electrical and 58 MW of thermal power.
Water Dis~osal
As shown in Table B-1, the chloride and sulfate content of water being discharged to streams from the Halemba mine is 7780 mgll. The discharge of this mine water is therefore detrimental to stream quality.
Methane Emissions and Reserves
According to the Central Mining Institute (Table 9), the Halemba mine is ranked third highest in USCB methane emissions, with approximately 24.4 million cubic meters recovered, only 19 perce,nt of which was utilized. A total of 81.4 million cubic meters of methane were liberated from the Halemba mine in 1989. Of this total, 4.6 million cubic meters were utilized (5.6 percent), so the total amount of methane emitted to the atmosphere was 76.8 million cubic meters16. Since mining depth is increas- ing, methane emissions will probably also increase.
TABLE 18. SUMMARY CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HALEMBA MINE COAL PRODUCTION (THOUSAND TONS) 1988
1987 5,662 1988 5,766 1989 5,296
DOCUMENTED COAL RESERVES (THOUSAND TONS) 1988
Demonstrated 428,889 Inferred 139.687
TOTAL RESERVES 568,576
APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM MINING DEPTH (METERS) 1,030
Source: MEPNRF, 1988-1990
Based on emissions of 16.4 cubic meters per ton of coal mined in 1988 and documented coal reserves, it is estimated that 9.3 billion cubic meters of methane occur above 1500 m. Additional reserves exist below 1500 m. Opportunities exist for expansion of Stage I1 and Ill recovery systems and supplemental use of Stage I and IV systems.
5.4.2 PROJECT TYPES
Mine Ventilation Air Use
The Halemba Power Station is an attractive site for utilization of mine ventilation air recovered from the ~alembamine, based on the large amounts of methane currently bein.g emitted from mine ventilation shafts. In 1989, 57 million cubic meters of methane were emitted from the ventilation shafts. If the ventilation air contains 0.5 percent methane, approximately 1.3 million cubic meters of combustion air would be available. If the Halemba power plant were to receive all of its combustion air from the mine ventilation shafts, it would use about 60 to 70 percent of the total mine ventilation, and displace about 54,000 tons of coal. When the ventilation air contains 0.5 percent methane, approximately 7 percent of the plant energy would be supplied by the ventilation air. At 1 percent methane, 14 percent energy could be derived.
16~hisnumber may be conservative as it is derived from official emission estimates
74 Cofirina in Existina Boilelg
In addition to methane emissions from the ventilation system, the Halemba mines used mine drainage techniques to remove an additional 24 million cubic meters of methane in 1989. Only 4.6 million cubic meters or about 20 percent of the drainage gas was utilized. Therefore, almost 20 million cubic meters of medium to high quality methane was not utilized.
This 20 million cubic meters per year would be suitable for cofiring at the Halemba Power Station. Approximately 2,300 cubic meters of methane per hour could be supplied or about 4 percent of the boiler heat input. By cofiring this gas and utilizing the mine ventilation air, 11 percent to 18 percent of the plant's heat input could be derived from waste gas.
Gatherina and Distribution
The gas that is currently being drained and not utilized could also be distributed through existing coke oven gas, low methane natural gas, or high methane natural gas pipeline systems. In order to make this approach feasible, it may be necessary to further develop the coalbed methane resources by implementing surface pre-mining and post-mining drainage techniques, which could achieve total gas production of 200,000 to 500,000 m3 per day of medium to high quality gas. This volume would be sufficient to justify interconnection to existing pipeline transmission systems that could be several miles from the plant.
In general, the Halemba mine's extremely gassy seams permit a wide range of potentially feasible utilization options. A more detailed analysis is needed to assess the feasibility of transporting gas to existing pipeline systems.
Water Dis~osal
In the past, the Hard Coal Agency proposed to test the injection potential of Carboniferous (Namurian) Ruda Beds for disposal of water from the Halemba mine. This plan was not implemented, apparently due to lack of capital or lack of familiarity with underground injection technology and experience. Those proposing the plan apparently thought such an approach had potential. Given the area's coalbed methane potential, and the fact that the mine water disposal problem in the Upper Silesian Basin is acute, an injectivity test of the Lower Carboniferous is worth pursuing.
Apparently no boreholes have penetrated the Cambrian in the Halemba area, but it is possible that Cambrian sandstones are present there. As shown in Figure 17, the Sosnowiec IG-1 borehole 17 km east of the Halemba concession had 298.6 m of Cambrian section, and drilling terminated before the entire Cambrian section was penetrated. The top of the Cambrian section is about 400 meters deeper at the Halemba concession than at the Brzeszcze concession. It would thus be more expensive to drill and injection test the Cambrian in the Halemba region, but not prohibitively so. In the U.S., drilling costs are about $392 per meter.
It is therefore recommended that if coalbed methane test wells are drilled in the Halemba concession area, that one is drilled deep enough to assess the potential of the Cambrian for underground injection. lnjectivity of the Carboniferous should be tested in several coalbed methane test wells as they are drilled.
CHAPTER 6
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FURTHER ACTION
Based on the results of this study, it is evident that coalbed methane development should be seriously investigated by the Polish government. Possible mechanisms for encouraging or facilitating coalbed methane development should be evaluated, and appropriate policies, incentives, and regulatory frameworks developed. If the government concurs that aggressive coalbed methane development would be beneficial, it is suggested that priority be given to coalbed methane in the Poland's energy restructuring program.
International agencies and foreign governments can assist Poland with this process by providing technical and financial assistance for coalbed methane projects. Follow-up efforts should be designed to educate and inform Polish technical experts and government personnel of the possible role coalbed methane could play in Poland's energy sector, and the best methods for developing the resource. Studies should also be undertaken to evaluate the feasibility of project development at specific sites, ultimately leading to the implementation of demonstration projects.
The major recommendations of this study are divided into two sections. The first section focuses on some activities that could be pursued by the U.S. government, industry and others. The second section discusses activities that the Polish government could pursue to develop a framework for the environmentally and economically attractive development of Poland's coalbed methane resources.
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES
6.1.1 COALBED METHANE CLEARINGHOUSE
To address information needs in Poland, a coalbed methane clearinghouse should be established. This center, based on the Gas Research Institute's successful U.S. coalbed methane clearinghouses, would collect and disseminate Polish and international information on coalbed methane technologies and techniques. In addition, the clearinghouse would serve as a central point for industry coordination, by publishing a technical journal on coalbed methane developments in Poland, organizing in-country seminars, conferences and workshops for Polish industry, and educating the general public about coalbed methane.
6.1.2 TRAINING
A training program is necessary to educate both technical mining industry personnel and government representatives. For technical personnel, training may include methods of resource assessment, methane recovery, and methane use. Programs for government personnel may include regulatory frameworks to ensure safe implementation of methane recovery projects at coal mines, legal and/or economic training, and training in project feasibility assessment. The training program will be developed in conjunction with ongoing efforts in the clearinghouse and the mine screening study (described below). 6.1.3 MINE SCREENING STUDY
As indicated by Tables 11 and 14, many of Poland's underground coal mines could be potential candidates for improved methane recovery use. In order to determine the most appropriate types of projects and the best methods of developing the resource, however, it is necessary to examine specific mine sites in more detail.
As part of this study, 20 Polish coal mines will be examined in detail in terms of a number of parameters affecting the potential to recover and use additional coalbed methane. Among the parameters examined will be:
Mine history and mining plans Mine conditions, including mining method, coal production data, safety record, etc. Current and possible methane recovery techniques Current and potential methane utilization options, including a review of nearby current and potential gas end-users Barriers to project development, including technical, financial, and institutional or legal Cost of coalbed methane production and transportation from each mine
Based on this review, candidate demonstration projects will be selected and feasibility studies undertaken. The findings of this study will also contribute to the design and implementation of a training program and to the preparation of specific recommendations for the Polish government to more aggressively promote coalbed methane development.
6.1.4 WATER DISPOSAL EVALUATION
For coalbed methane projects developed in advance of active mining or in coal reserves, water will likely be produced in conjunction with gas. This water must be disposed of in a manner that will not contribute to the further degradation of Poland's environment. Several water disposal methods have been developed in the United States and elsewhere that are environmentally safe and effective under a variety of geologic and hydrologic conditions. The applicability of the various water disposal methods in Poland must be assessed prior to large-scale development of the coalbed methane resource. It is important to note that this effort will also have direct benefits for the coal mining industry, which is currently trying to improve disposal of water produced by mining.
As a first step to identifying effective means of water disposal in Poland, a mine water disposal inventory should be developed. By evaluating the experiences of the mining industry in water disposal, it should be possible to determine which water disposal methods will be environmentally and economically sound in different areas for the emerging coalbed methane industry.
Specifically, the water inventory will determine: I) the volume and quality of water discharged by Poland's coal mines; 2) the costs of transporting and disposing of this water; and 3) the degree to which saline mine water is being diluted with fresh mine water prior to disposal. Using this information, a program to test various water disposal practices can be developed. Section 6.1 outlined the technical aspects of activities that could be pursued by the U.S. government and industry, in conjunction with the Polish government. Concurrent with these activities, measures should be taken by the Polish government to examine the social and economic impacts that will result from transitions in the coal mining industry that will accompany increased utilization of coalbed methane. This will require a coordinated effort by local, regional, and federal officials, and existing and newly formed energy-related enterprises. Specifically, these activities should include:
1. Compilation of An Energy Economy Database. The database should include:
Employment, by sector @Energyproduction, by type @Energyconversion, inputs and outputs @Regionalincome, including per capita income @Energycontent of fuels produced by region @Regionalenergy consumption, by type of energy and sector
2. Analysis of the impact of coalbed methane utilization on regional economies. It is suggested that a model such as the regional assessment system (whose results are summarized in Chapter 4) could be used by Polish economists and energy experts, with some outside help if necessary, to project the impacts of coalbed methane utilization on regional economies. Questions addressed by the model could include:
@Will implementation of a national coalbed methane program offset energy price increases for the consumers?
@Willcoalbed methane utilization provide noticeable improvements in air quality?
@Howwill a partial transition from coal to coalbed methane affect employment?
3. Dissemination of information derived from the economic analysis. It is recommended that conclusions from the database and economic assessment be made available to all branches of the government, industry, and the general public for review and discussion.
4. Utilization of the economic assessment in formulating policies. Conclusions drawn from the regional economic assessment can be used in establishing local and regional policies, including regulations concerning permitting and fines, as well as incentives that could be provided by federal or state governments.
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Due to coal's designation as a strategic mineral, some intragovernmental reports pertaining to coal are not publicly available in Poland. Consequently, some of the estimates of Poland's coal resources were derived from discussions with Polish officials, data hand-copied from reports made available during visits, publications generously donated by Polish officials, and reports and books purchased in Poland and the U.S.
As in other nations, coal resources in Poland are categorized according to the degree of assurance that they exist. The Polish system of classification differs slightly from the U.S. system in that the Polish classification uses letters, rather than descriptive terms, to represent the classes. Figure A-1 illustrates the Polish classification system and compares it to the American system.
Polish hard coal resources are shown in Table A-1 . These resources are grouped into 120 deposits, 74 of which are classed as developed (active mines and mines under construction). Documented reserves (A through C, classes) are estimated at 65.9 billion tons. Due to factors such as poor coal quality, adverse mining conditions, and small quantity, 13.3 billion tons of the documented reserves are currently considered "uneconomic." Because of adverse geologic conditions and factors such as overlying towns, facilities, and rivers, an additional 7 billion tons of the documented reserves are considered "unmineable." Thus, the recoverable portion of Poland's documented reserves constitutes almost 46 billion tons. Documented reserves include only those resources which exist above 1000 m.
Poland's "prognostic" or undiscovered coal reserves are also shown in Table A-1 and are estimated at 99.6 billion tons. Only those coal resources that exist above 1500 meters are included in the prognostic resource figures; 1500 meters is considered to be the maximum depth at which coal can be economically mined with available technology. The sum of the documented reserves and the prognostic resources equals the total hard coal resources in Poland t 165.5 billion tons).
Tables A-2, A-3, and A-4 provide information about the documented and prognostic reserves for each of Poland's three coal basins. These tables also categorize coal resources by coal type. In Poland, increasing coal rank is denoted by numbers ranging from 31 to 42. The corresponding rank in U.S. terms is shown below:
Polish Classification U.S.A. Classification
Type 31-32 Subbituminous and high-volatile C and B bituminous Type 33 High-volatile B bituminous Type 34-37 High-volatile B and A, medium-and low-volatile bituminous Type 38-42 Semi-anthracite and anthracite FIGURE A-1. POLISH AND UNITED STATES MINERAL RESOURCE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEMS
DOCUMENTED PROGNOSTIC t
0 5 oPA B C1 2-3 0 W
0 5 0z A B 8mll.l 3 V) ; Decreasing assurance * Pdsh Minetd Resource Classification System
Degree of Assurance
United Stater of America Polrnd
Econo-mic mineability
United Stater of America Poland
Economic Recoverable resources reserves Industrial workable resources Economic I Economic resources I reserve base I (balance sheet ~~SOU~C~S)(
Resources I Geological resources I
Comparison of Pdbh and U.S. Mineral Resource Classificatim Systems TABLE A- 1. TOTAL HARD COAL RESOURCES OF POLAND (IN BILLION TONS)
DOCUMEMED (IDENTIFIED) (1988) PROGNOSTIC (1985) TOTAL (UNDISCOVEED) RESOURCES
COAL NO. OF UNEW- UNMINE- RECOII- TOTAL TOTAL (DOCUMENTED TYPE DEPOSrrS A+B C1 C2 NOMIC ABLE ERABLE DOC. Dl D2 03 PROG. +PROGNOSTIC)
DEVELOPED DEPOSITS (ACTIVE MINES + MINES UNDER CONSTRUCTION) 31 -33 74 4.51 6.28 6.44 4.16 5.07 8.00 17.23 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA 34-37 1.88 4.67 7.40 2.55 1.51 9.89 13.95 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA 38-42 -0.01 O.01 0.09 -0.04 -0.03 0.05 O.t NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA ALL COAL TYPES 6.40 10.96 13.93 6.75 6.61 17.93 31.29 N/A NIA NIA NIA NIA
UNDEVELOPED DEPOSITS (THOSE WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN MINED) 31 -33 41 0.06 3.63 22.30 4.21 0.39 21.39 25.98 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA 34-37 0.00 1.61 6.11 2.01 0.20 5.52 7.73 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA 0? 38-42 -0.00 0.01 0.73 -0.31 -0.00 9.42 0.74 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA ALL COAL TYPES 0.06 5.25 29.14 6.53 0.58 27.33 34.45 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA
INACTIVE DEPOSITS (PREVIOUSLY MINED) 31 -33 5 0.01 0.08 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.09 0.11 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA 34-37 0.00 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.04 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA 38-42 -0.00 -0.0 o.00 -0.00 -0.00 0.01 0.01 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA ALL COAL TYPES 0.01 0.1 1 0.04 0.02 0.02 0.12 0.16 N/A NIA N/A NIA NIA
TOTAL RESOURCES (DEVELOPED, UNDEVELOPED, AND INACTIVE) 31 -33 120 4.58 9.98 28.76 8.38 5.27 29.67 43.32 29.4 12.5 23.3 65.2 108.5 34-37 1.82 6.31 13.54 4.57 1.72 15.37 21.67 9.1 8.6 14.1 31.8 53.5 38-42 0.01 0.05 0.82 0.35 0.03 0.50 0.88 0.2 0.6 1.8 2.6 3.5 ALL COAL TYPES 6.41 16.29 42.30 12.95 6.99 45.04 64.99 38.5 21.1 37.4 97.0 162.0 I
(NIA = Not Available; Prognostic Resource data was not subdivided according to type of deposit) Minor discrepancies between some of the numbers listed and their totals are due to rounding. =?qp N 2zc barn m rc b " cur?* G ajl G i4 dM v- T- WZC -NO(*) 2 F-"I $ r"C dddld rC)-C Otb "I" kqc? d 41 cb 2 rob" cowa --(Urn m 0 b m 9'Qk cd iIc6 G uj dl c6 7- r N 8Z0 &y??XIX ""9 cd dl -d coma 'Qcqr? -00- "*9 t -I (D d d d b-0 (Dm;b b 3aPm zOOP z : : 4 a 3 2 $ I I I -dm mmm A-4 aaa \\\Aaaaa \\\ZZZ z zZ z aaaa aaa \\\\ \\Izzz ZZZZ aaaa aaa \\\\ \\\zzz ZZZZ aaaa aaa \\\\ \I\zzz ZZZZ aaaa sss \\\\ zzz zzzz TABLE A-4. HARD COAL RESOURCES OF THE LCB (IN BILLION TONS) DOCUMENTED (IDENTIFIED) (1988) PROGNOSTIC (1985) TOTAL (UNDISCOVEFED) RESOURCES COAL NO.OF UNECO- UNMINE- RECOV- TOTAL TOTAL (DOCUMENTED TYPE DEPOSITS A+B C1 C2 NOMIC ABE EWE DOC. Dl 02 D3 PROG. +PROGNOSTIC) DEVELOPED DEPOSITS (1 ACTIVE MINE, 1 MINE UNDER CONSTRUCTION) 31 -33 2 23 198 317 115 57 367 538 N/A NIA NIA NIA NIA 34 -37 -114281 -36 -4 184 224 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA ALLCOALTYPES 24 340 398 151 61 551 762 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA UNDEVELOPED DEPOSITS ? 31-33 11 0 1,380 4,348 1,539 97 4,092 5,728 N/A NIA NIA NIA NIA 0 34-37 -0437780 407 -2 808 1,217 N/A NIA NIA NIA N/A ALL COAL TYPES 0 1,817 5,128 1,946 99 4,900 6,945 NIA NIA NIA NIA NIA TOTAL RESOURCES (DEVELOPED AND UNDEVELOPED) 34 -37 1 579 862 443 6 993 1,442 N/A NIA N/A N/A NIA ALLCOALTYPES 24 2,158 5,527 2,097 160 5,452 7,709 21,600 5,400 23,800 58,509 66,418 I (NIA = Not Available; Prognostic Res~urcedata was not subdivided according to coal type or type of deposit) Minor discrepancies between some of the numbers listed and their totals are due to rounding. APPENDIX B - ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS Partial substitution of coalbed methane for coal as a fuel source would significantly improve Poland's quality. When burned, coalbed methane emits none of the SO, or particulates associated with coal burning, and much less NO,, CO,, and volatile organic compounds (Oil and Gas Journal, 1991a; U.S. EPA, 1986). This Appendix assesses the airborne emissions, solid wastes, and water contaminants in the USCB and LSCB associated with the coal industry. It also includes a more general description of the overall environmental impact of coalbed methane use and illustrates the profound need for remedial action. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF COAL MINING AND COMBUSTION IN THE USCB Pollution resulting from the large amount of coal mined and burned in the USCB is a primary reason for its designation as an ecological disaster area. In 1988, coal combustion resulted in the monitored emissions summarized below (Central Statistics Bureau, 1989): Sulfur Dioxide (SO,). The Katowice voivodship emitted an estimated 688 thousand tons of SO, to the atmosphere in 1988. In the densely populated and highly industrialized USCB, coal mines, power plants, and industrial facilities are usually located adjacent to one another. Nitroaen Oxides (NO,). The major source of NO, emissions in Poland are power plants, most of which are coal fired. The Katowice voivodship emitted an estimated 208 thousand tons of NO, in 1988, more than three times as much any other voivodship and many times more than most (Central Statistics Bureau, 1989). Volatile Oraanic Comoounds (VOCrs). Emission of various VOCrs, much of it due to coal combustion, are high in the USCB. In Katowice, for example, the concentration of benzoialpyrene is often as much as 62 times higher than the allowable level recommended by the World Health Organization (Pawlowski, 1990). Data on emissions of other VOC's such as benzene and toluene was not available; these compounds, commonly emitted by coke plants, are known to be carcinogens. Carbon Dioxide (CO,). Reliable data concerning CO, emissions in the USCB were not available. Particulate Matter. There are many sources of particulate matter in Poland, including coal burning, and the USCB has high levels of airborne particulates. The Katowice voivodship, which comprises less than 1 percent of the total area of Poland, emitted an estimated 17 percent of the total particulates measured throughout Poland in 1988. Heavv Metals. Figures on the release of heavy metals to the environment in the USCB were not evaluated because although metals are released to the atmosphere by coal mining and burning, the majority of heavy metals contamination in the USCB results from metal mining and smelting (Norska-Borowka, 1990). The precision of the above emission figures is questionable for a number of reasons, including a recent history of secrecy and lack of suitable monitoring equipment. However, the general trend of the data establishes a firm relationship between high pollutant emissions and coal burning in the USCB. Solid Was@ The amount of hard coal mine waste produced annually in the USCB was estimated at about 80 to 90 million tons in 1986 (Rogoz et all 1987). Hard coal mine waste produced in the USCB constitutes more than 42 percent of the total industrial waste recorded in Poland. About 21 percent of the mine waste is utilized, 31 percent is buried in landfill-type dumps and the remaining 48 percent is directed to surface dumps. There are between 100 and 140 local dumping grounds (located near the mines) and 5 central dumping grounds. Due to the lack of land near many mines, some USCB mines transport mine and preparation plant waste materials as far as 80 km for disposal; special railroad lines are used to transport this waste. In addition to occupying large amounts of land, the coal waste pollutes surface and groundwater, which is discussed in the following section. Water resource^ Water resources of the USCB have been profoundly damaged by coal mining. The following problems are a result of past and present mining activity: Subsidence above and near mine areas. The land surface above mine workings has dropped as much as 25 m in some places. Subsidence has changed local hydraulic gradients and drainage basin limits, and has created numerous ponds. In some regions, including Jastrzebie and Ruda Slaska, such ponds are more than 12 m deep (Wilk, 1990). Problems ranging from excessively wet soil to inundation of formerly dry land are especially serious in the northwestern and southern part of the USCB. Drainaae of fresh water aauifers. In the USCB coal mine drainage is responsible for seriously lowering the water table in many areas, often rendering wells dry. It has also extensively depleted numerous surface waters, including large streams such as the Bytomka, Rawa, and Bolina. Leachina from coal waste ~iles. Coal waste dumps contribute about 40 thousand tons of chlorides per year to the aquatic environment. When oxygen is available, the decomposition of dumped material could produce up to 450 thousand tons of sulfate ions per year. Heavy metals are also leached from the waste piles. Dischame of hiahlv mineralized mine waters to streams. Saline discharge is perhaps the most serious of all coal mine-related water problems. About 670 m3/min of water is pumped by USCB coal mines; about 113 of this water is used within the mines, by power plants, and for municipal purposes (when sufficiently fresh). The remaining 450 m3/minis disposed to surface steams at 89 outlets. The total amount of dissolved chloride and sulfate ions discharged to the rivers by mine water is about 7.4 thousand tons per day. Among the dissolved solids present in USCB mine waters are Ca, Mg, Na, CI and SO,, of which chlorides and sulfates are believed to pose the greatest environmental threat. Data for 1985 from the Central Mining Institute indicates that the chloride concentration greatly exceeds the sulfate concentration in most mine waters. Mine water is classified into one of four groups according to quality: Group 1: Contains CI + SO, lower than 600 mg/l and is suitable for drinking water Group 2: Contains CI + SO, of 600-1,800 mg/l and is suitable for cooling circuits, coal preparation plants, and other industries; Group 3: Contains CI + SO4 of 1,800-42,000 mgll. This water is considered polluted water with no potential for commercial mineral recovery Group 4: Contains CI + SO, of more than 42,000 mgll. Polluting brines of this class can sometimes have potential for mineral recovery by the chemical industry. The distribution of salinity concentrations in Group FIQURE 6-1. SALINITY CONCENTRATION IN QROUP 3 AND 4 WTER 3 & 4 mine water discharged to rivers in 1985 is M~HAR~EDrRoM UINEO. UPPER OILESIAN COAL WIN,POLAND shown in Figure 8-1. Group 4 waters (those having a chloride and sulfate concentration greater than 42,000 mg/l) comprise 12 percent of the combined Group and 4 water discharged to streams. The extreme salinity of these waters is highly detrimental to water quality, even when discharged in small amounts. Table B-1 illustrates the quantity and quality of Group 3 and 4 waters discharged by Poland's mines in 1985, as well as the chloride and sulfate 2 2-X) 104 18-28 2bS4 54-42 42-60 ,60 concentration of those waters. According to Rogoz Conantretian of ChIarMa and 8ulf.(. lone (oIU et al (19871, a forecast prepared in 1982 predicted inflow and mineralization of mine waters up to the year 2000. The forecast concluded that the volume of water flowing into the mines would increase only slightly (by about 50,000 m3/day)but average chloride content of water discharged to the Vistula (Wisla) River drainage would increase by 15,000 mgll, and to the Odra River drainage by 7,000 mgll. If the assumptions used in making this forecast are valid, it appears that the volume of water currently discharged from mines is probably about the same as shown in Table 6-1, but that salinity is probably now somewhat higher. Attempts to mitigate the mine water contamination problem have been inadequate. The most ambitious undertaking is the present construction of a desalination plant at the Debiensko mine, which will employ reverse osmosis filtering methods. Unfortunately, officials at the plant have expressed serious concern regarding the availability of the capital necessary to complete the project. Even if capital is available, it would treat only 12,580 m3/d of water when operating at full capacity. This is less than the 1985 combined daily discharge of Group 3 and 4 water at Debiensko and its two closest neighbors, the Knurow and Budryk mines. Poland's mine water disposal problem is of such great magnitude that it threatens future mine development in the USCB (Rogoz et al, 1987). Coal production data and mine water discharge data were unavailable for the same year, but an approximation of the volume of Group Ill and 1V water discharged per ton of coal mined in the USCB is presented in Table 6-1 ; this value is extremely high at some mines, and the cost of the resulting environmental degradation may exceed the value of the coal produced from these areas. In assessing the environmental quality of the LSCB, results from air quality studies conducted at 52 measuring points in the Walbrzych voivodship were evaluated. These data were part of the Evaluation of Natural Environmental Quality in the Walbrzych Voivodship, 1986-1989 (Zaremba and Kierkus, 1989). The results of this study revealed that the most polluted air occurs in the city of Walbrzych where concentrations of all pollutants exceeded admissible values by several times. The primary sources TABLE 8-1. QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF GROUP 3 AND 4 MINE WATER DISCHARGED, AND VOLUME DIS- CHARGED RELATIVE TO COAL PRODUCTION IN THE USCB (IN ORDER OF DISCHARGE PER TON OF COAL) GROUP 3 8 4 CI + SO4 CONTENT GROUP 3 & 4 WATER DIS- OF GROUP 3 & 4 COAL WATER DISCHARGED MINE CHARGED WATER DISCHARGED PRODUCTION ma PER TON (1985) (kma) (1 985) (mall) (1988) kT OF COAL MINED KATOWICE NIWKA-MODRZEJOW PSTROWSKl GUWICE RYMER SlLESlA KRUPlNSKl (SUSZEC) CZECZOll JAWORZNO SZOMBlERKl GRODZIEC WIECZOREK ZlEMOWlT PlAST WAWEL LENlN ESOLA) DEBlEA"" SKO CENTRUM (DYMITROW) BOBREK ROZBARK KAZIMIERZ-JULIUSZ BRZESZCZE MYSLOWICE GOrrWALD KLEOFAS MIECHOWICE ZABRZE-BIELSZOWICE BORYNIA SlEMANOWlCE MAKOSOWY JASTRZEBIE HALEMBA RYDULTOWY MARCEL MORCINEK KACM POWSTANCb W SLA'2 . CHWALOWICE WUJEK SLASK l 1 MAJA JANKOWICE JUUAN ANNA KNUROW M. UPCOWY (ZOFIOW.) XXX-LECIA (PNIOWEK) MOSZCENICA SOSNICA POLSKA SZCZYGLOWICE BUDRYK BOLESLAW SMIALY BARBARA CHORZOW ZMP C. GWARDIA (SATURN) MURCKl GN. ZAWADSKl (PARYZ) POKOJ ANDALUWA KOMUNA PARYSKA C. ZAG. IP. KUMONTOW JOWlSZ ' SIERSZA JANINA SOSNOWIEC of all pollutants listed below are the Walbrzych coke plant and power plants at the Victoria, Thorez, and Nowa Ruda coal mines. a Sulfur Dioxide (SO,). During the period 1986-1988 the maximum admissible level of 0.35 mg/m3for a 24-hour average was exceeded at every monitoring point in the voivodship except Klodzko and Nowa Ruda. SO, concentrations were considerably higher in Walbrzych than elsewhere in the voivodship because the heaviest emitters, Walbnych's mines and coking plant, are concentrated in a relatively small area in the southwestern corner of the city. The output of SO, in 1988 within the town of Walbrzych was 99 t/km2, and total emissions for the voivodship were 18.8 thousand tons. e Nitroaen Oxides (NO,). During the same three year period, maximum allowable NO, levels of 0.15 mg/m3for a 24-hour average were,exceeded sporadically in Walbrzych and Swidnica, but were not exceeded in Nowa Ruda. Total NO, emissions in the voivodship were 6 thousand tons in 1988. 0 Volatile Oraanic Com~ounds(VOCrs). No values were available for emissions of benzene, toluene, benzo-a-pyrene or other VOCrs, but they are almost certainly emitted to Walbrzych's atmosphere by the coke ovens. According to Szpunar et al (19901 VOC emissions from southwestern Poland are among the highest in the nation. e Carbon Dioxide (CO,). Reliable data concerting CO, emissions in the LSCB were not available. e Particulates. During the three year period, the annual admissible particulate matter level of 250 t/km2 was exceeded at two of the four reporting locations in the city of Walbrzych. Mean annual levels in the city of Nowa Ruda did not exceed this limit. a Heavv Metals. While coal mining and burning is not responsible for all of the heavy metal contamination in the LSCB, it appears to account for most of it. Data on air emissions or leaching from waste piles was not available, but concentrations of Zn, Cd, Ni, and Pb (all of which are found in LSCB coals) have been measured in soil from garden plots in Walbrzych during 1987. According to these measurements, concentrations of heavy metals in Walbrzych soils are elevated above typical values but not to the extent that they are dangerous to human health. Solid Waste Since appwximately one ton of clean coal is produced from every 2 tons of material mined, 1988 coal production figures suggest that about 1.4 million tons of waste rock is produced in the LSCB annually. It appears that most of this waste is dumped on the surface; coal waste piles dominate the landscape in the Walbrzych area and some are tens of meters high. Water Resources The most critical mine-related water problems in the LSCB appear to be lowering of the water table and leaching from coal waste piles. Mining activity has locally intensified the mineral content of the water, but not to the same degree as in the USCB. Wilk (1990) reports that mining activity has lowered the water table in the vicinity of Walbrzych and estimates the resulting cone of depression to have a volume of 32 km3. Mine drainage has affected the Palecznica, Szczawnik, and Lesk streams, changing them from effluent (gaining) to influent (losing) streams over a distance of about 15 km. The maximum reported Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) content of waters in LSCB coals is 8000 mg/l (Posylek, 1987). As a result, mine water discharge to streams has not presented the serious problem that it does in the USCB. According to 1985 data from the Central Mining Institute, water with a chloride and sulfate content in excess of 1800 mg/l was discharged to rivers at only one location, the Piast field of the Nowa Ruda mine. Approximately 31,500 m3of mine water are discharged to the Odra drainage each day from LSCB mines, most of it in the Group 2 category. Some of the water produced at the Thorez mine is used as drinking water; in 1985, 2,756 m3/dof Thorez mine water was used for municipal purposes. Turka (1977) indicates that localized excessive mineralization of groundwater near the city of Walbrzych is due to pollution. Data provided by environmental personnel in the city of Walbrzych indicates high in-stream concentrations of minerals at several localities). The data shows TDS concentrations in samples taken from streams and from reservoirs containing mine water which is released during periods of high stream flow. TDS concentrations exceed 600 mg/l and chloride concentrations exceed 230 mg/l (standards adopted in the U.S. according to EPA regulations) at several locations. GENERAL IMPACT ON THE POLISH ENVIRONMENT Previously in this Appendix, the deleterious affect of emissions were specified by region. The following discussion outlines how the integration of coalbed methane in the fuel mix should help mitigate Poland's environmental crisis. Sulfur Dioxide (SO,). Assuming a sulfur content of 2 percent (typical of coal burned in Poland), approximately 1.7 kg sulfur is emitted for every GJ of coal burned. No sulfur is emitted when coalbed methane is burned. Coal fired electric utility plants in Poland will be required to reduce SO, emissions by as much as 75 percent by 1998. The approximate cost of desulfurization necessary to achieve these emissions reductions is $825/ton SO,. For every ton of sulfur removed, about 638.6 gigajoules (GJ) are expended; this is equivalent to the energy provided by about 16,940 m3 of methane. Coalbed methane thus has a demonstrated advantage over coal as an energy source, in that money and energy for desulfurization are unnecessary. Particulates. Based on an average ash content of 10 percent, 3.91 kg of ash is emitted per GJ of coal burned, while coalbed methane emits no particulates. To illustrate the amount of ash produced by coal burning, a 600 megawatt power plant with no particulate controls emits about 1500 tons of ash per year. Use of coalbed methane for cogeneration at such a power plant would substantially reduce particulate emissions. Nitroaen Oxides (NO,). Based on typical NO, emissions, about 0.67 kg NO, is emitted per GJ of hard coal burned; in commercial applications, coalbed methane emits about 32 percent as much, or 0.21 kg per unit of energy. Poland will have to reduce NO, emissions if it is to become a member of the European Economic Community (Szpunar et all 1990). The approximate operating cost of low-NO, burners that will be necessary to achieve NO, reductions is $176lton NO,. For every ton of NO, removed. For every ton of NO, removed, about 2,902 GJ of energy are expended; this is equivalent to the energy produced by 77,000 m3 of coalbed methane. Coalbed methane once again has a demonstrated advantage over coal as an energy source, in the money and energy spent on lowering NO, emissions is reduced. Carbon Dioxide (COJ. Because of the heavy emphasis on coal, Poland's CO, emissions are exceptionally high (Szpunar, 1990). Substitution of coalbed methane for coal would significantly reduce emissions of this greenhouse gas. Assuming a carbon content of 73 percent, 105 kg of CO, are produced per GJ of energy generated by hard coal. Coalbed methane combustion releases only 35 percent as much CO,, or 37 kg per GJ. Volatile Oraanic Comoounds (VOC'sl.According to calculations based on the U.S. EPA's Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission Factors (1986), coalbed methane combustion releases about 0.0006 kg of VOC's per GJ as opposed to coal's 0.0014 kg1GJ. Substitution of coalbed methane for coal would thus reduce VOC emissions by 43 percent per unit of energy. METHODOLOGY AND USE OF KRlGlNG The methane reserves estimates for each mine concession in the Upper and Lower Silesian coal basins were derived by dividing the volume of methane liberated from a given mine in 1988 by the weight coal of it produced that year, then multiplying this quotient by the documented coal reserves of that mine. For the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, the amount of methane emitted per ton of coal mined (at each mine) was plotted on a map of mine concession locations, and the data was gridded and contoured using the Kriging method (explained below); the resulting map is shown in Figure 10. For those mining concessions for which no emissions values were available, the amount of methane liberated per ton of coal mined in 1988 was estimated according to the location of the mine in relation to the estimates at grid intersections. It is recognized that the resulting methane reserves values actually represent not only gas desorbing from the coal being mined, but gas desorbing and migrating from rocks in the roof and floor of the mine and from gas leaking into the active mining areas from inactive portions of the mine. It is assumed that because of the placement of methanometers in the mine near the active mining face and in critical positions along the return air system, that much of the gas is methane being desorbed from the coal, yielding a conservative yet reliable estimate of the gas content (see Borowski,1975). It is, however, important that future work in a prospective development area include carefully measured methane content values using methodology developed and accepted in the coalbed methane industry in the United States. A second component of uncertainty is associated with methane reserves calculations where methane liberated from the coal during mining is not directly measurable. For the purposes of this mission, reserves in the undeveloped and inactive mining areas were considered to be geologically analogous to nearby active mines that have estimates of gas contents determined from emissions data. The values determined for the geologically analogous areas were used to calculate a weighted average gas content multiplied by the coal resources to produce a prognostic coal resource estimate. This estimate is conservative because most of the undeveloped coal resource lies in the gassier portions of the coal basin. Prognostic coalbed methane resources lying beneath 1000 m were also estimated using this technique. Use of the Kriaina Method in Methane Reserves Estimation Kriging is a geostatistical method that the mining industry uses to estimate the variability of an ore body and predict the quality of the ore as it is mined. This method takes into account that geologic data is not randomly collected and therefore a certain amount of variance in the values of the sample population is due to its geographic location. Geologic data is not random because samples taken for testing or evaluation are often selected due to ease of retrieval, or simply because most boreholes or mines are located with the anticipation of encountering an "ore bodywor "pay zone." Ore bodies, or pay zones, are economically recoverable reserves, and are by definition anomalous. They often comprise concentrations of the desired element many times the background values of those contained in the surrounding rock. So a method for statistical analysis of a data set that has been preselected because of its anomalous values was developed by a South African mining engineer named Krige. Implementing the concept of regionalized variables (i.e., the variance of values due to their location in space), Krige developed methods of taking irregularly spaced data from the field and estimating values at points that would be encountered during future mining or exploratory drilling. In other words, Krige gridded an area of interest and estimated the values at each grid point, which incorporated variance due to location. Kriging was used to predict the methane content of mining concessions for several reasons: - the mines are located in areas of high quality, high rank coal, which will become gassier with increasing depth - methane emissions data from each mine is collected at the working faces and critical return airway intersections. The precise geographic location of the emission is not known; therefore, the ventilation shaft (if known) or the mine portal is used as the emission point. In the safety classification used for designating the dangers due to methane emissions at the mine face, monitoring begins at 0.02 m3/min and the number of methanometers (methane sampling stations) increases with Increasing danger of methane explosions. Hence, the distribution of methane emission values is not a continuous function and sampling is non-random. Thus the Kriging method was used for those mining concessions where no emission data was available. Additional Use of the Kriaina Method The Kriging method was also used in contouring Figure 17, allowing an estimate of the thickness of the Devonian and Cambrian carbonate reservoir in the southern USCB which could serve as a potential disposal site for coal mines and coalbed methane wells. eU.S. Government Printing Office : 1992 - 312-014/40064