DRAFT BestBest Practices Practices in in Best Practices in Underground Coal Underground Coal Gasification Gasification Elizabeth Burton Julio Friedmann Ravi Upadhye Elizabeth Burton Julio Friedmann Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Ravi Upadhye This workLawrence was performed under the Livermore auspices of the U.S. Department National of Energy by theLaboratory University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48. Figure 1-1 Underground Coal Gasification This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract No. W-7405-Eng-48. DRAFT 2 Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary .................................................................................................. 11 2 Introduction............................................................................................................... 13 2.1 Underground Coal Gasification Process Description ....................................... 13 2.2 Why Consider Underground Coal Gasification? .............................................. 14 2.3 Timeliness of Underground Coal Gasification R&D Investment..................... 15 2.4 Potential Limitations and Concerns for UCG................................................... 16 2.5 Potential Use in Developing Countries............................................................. 17 2.5.1 India .......................................................................................................... 17 2.5.2 China......................................................................................................... 18 3 Historical Overview.................................................................................................. 20 3.1 Experience from 1960 through 1999 ................................................................ 21 3.1.1 U.S. Trials................................................................................................. 31 3.1.2 European UCG Trials (1982-1999) .......................................................... 37 3.1.3 People’s Republic of China (1980s to present)......................................... 38 3.1.4 Australia (1990s to present)...................................................................... 39 3.1.5 Japan ......................................................................................................... 41 3.1.6 Former Soviet Union (FSU)...................................................................... 42 3.1.7 Other Countries......................................................................................... 47 4 Ignition and Gasification........................................................................................... 49 4.1.1 Well Characteristics and Flow Path Enhancement ................................... 49 4.1.2 Injection Process (CRIP, εUCG) .............................................................. 50 4.1.3 Other Processing Considerations .............................................................. 52 4.1.4 Surface Facilities....................................................................................... 54 4.2 UCG Economics ............................................................................................... 55 5 Environmental Management..................................................................................... 57 5.1 U.S. Regulatory Framework ............................................................................. 57 5.2 The Risk-Based Decision-Making (RBDM) Process ....................................... 59 5.3 Geologic Assessment of UCG Sites ................................................................. 60 5.3.1 Stratigraphic Framework ......................................................................... 61 5.3.2 Structural Framework ............................................................................... 65 5.3.3 Hydrological and Geomechanical Framework ......................................... 66 5.3.4 Geochemical Framework.......................................................................... 66 DRAFT 3 5.4 Induced Subsidence.......................................................................................... 72 5.4.1 Simulation and Prediction......................................................................... 72 5.5 Integrating Factors to Assess Risk.................................................................... 74 5.5.1 Rock Springs Uplift .................................................................................. 76 5.5.2 The Ferron Sandstone Coal Succession.................................................... 76 5.5.3 The Blackhawk Formation Coal Succession ............................................ 77 5.6 Experience from UCG pilots ............................................................................ 78 5.6.1 Hoe Creek, WY......................................................................................... 78 5.6.2 Carbon County, WY ................................................................................. 80 5.6.3 Chinchilla Project, Australia..................................................................... 80 6 Carbon Management................................................................................................. 82 6.1 Carbon Capture................................................................................................. 82 6.2 UCG and Conventional Carbon Storage........................................................... 85 6.3 UCG and Carbon Storage in the Reactor Zone................................................. 85 6.3.1 Potential Advantages and Disadvantages to RZCS .................................. 86 6.3.2 Description of Key Scientific Concerns ................................................... 87 6.3.3 Outline of Scientific Program to Address RZCS Hazards and Risks ....... 88 7 Best Practices and Lessons Learned ......................................................................... 90 7.1 Siting and Operation ......................................................................................... 90 7.2 Initiation of UCG Burns.................................................................................... 91 7.3 Surface Facility Planning and Operation .......................................................... 91 7.4 Extended Operation.......................................................................................... 91 7.5 Environmental Management............................................................................. 92 7.5.1 Well Design and Construction.................................................................. 92 7.5.2 Well Operation.......................................................................................... 92 7.5.3 Burn Front Monitoring and Control.......................................................... 92 7.5.4 Closure and Abandonment........................................................................ 92 7.5.5 Groundwater Protection............................................................................ 93 7.5.6 Subsidence Management .......................................................................... 93 7.5.7 Monitoring ................................................................................................ 94 7.6 Carbon Management......................................................................................... 95 7.6.1 Site Selection............................................................................................ 95 7.6.2 CO2 Capture and Separation ..................................................................... 95 DRAFT 4 7.6.3 CO2 Storage .............................................................................................. 95 8 Technology Gaps and Recommendations................................................................. 97 8.1 R&D Gaps......................................................................................................... 97 8.2 Technology Gaps.............................................................................................. 98 8.2.1 Improved Combustion/Gasification Models............................................. 98 8.2.2 Improved Monitoring................................................................................ 99 8.2.3 Improved Environmental Simulation...................................................... 102 8.2.4 UCG + CCS (Carbon Capture and Sequestration).................................. 104 8.2.5 Laboratory Experiments.......................................................................... 106 8.2.6 Integrated Process and Subsurface Modeling......................................... 106 9 References............................................................................................................... 107 Cover illustration and watermark: Adapted from Creedy and Garner (2004). DRAFT 5 List of Tables Table 3-1: International UCG pilots, excluding U.S. and FSU ........................................ 23 Table 3-2: Recent UCG Operations in the Former Soviet Union (FSU).......................... 24 Table 3-3: UCG pilots in the United States. ..................................................................... 26 Table 3-4: Production data for Angren station 1962-1976 (Olness, 1982)....................... 42 Table 3-5: Characteristics of Soviet UCG projects 1933-1965 (Gregg, et al., 1976; Olness and Gregg, 1977) .....................................................................................................