The capture, use, sale, or destruction of methane released during the mining of coal and other leasable minerals on federal land may prove advantageous for operators under a system being considered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Options the BLM is looking at include using favorable lease terms to incentivize operators to prevent venting of waste mine methane (WMM) into either the mine environment or the atmosphere. Another possibility is writing leases that mandate the capture of WMM. The BLM is requesting public comment on a range of economic, technical, and environmental issues inherent in any new program that would promote or require the recovery of WMM from mines.
Releases during operations
Coalbed methane recovery is an established and regulated practice in which methane is recovered apart from mining operations. However, in some cases, coalbed methane development and extraction have not preceded mining or not all the methane was recovered. Through the mining process, methane can then be released from the coal or other mineralized seam into the mine environment and atmosphere. Methane in the mine environment can be a significant safety issue for underground miners when it concentrates in underground workings to explosive levels. Methane is also a powerful GHG—about 20 times more effective than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the troposphere. The EPA estimates that coal mining accounts for about 10 percent of all methane emissions in the United States.
Several methods exist to remove WMM from active mines. These include methane drainage that utilizes vertical drilling in advance of mining, which can yield a gas with a methane concentration of 80 percent or more. Other methods include methane drainage during mining, which generally yields a gas with a methane concentration under 80 percent, and collecting methane in ventilation air, which contains a very low methane concentration.
Statutory authority
The BLM believes the Mineral Leasing Act provides it with broad authority to include terms and conditions in new coal and other solid mineral leases to diminish the amount of WMM that is vented into the air. The BLM also has the authority to readjust existing leases, also to require the capture of WMM.
In light of these authorities, the BLM is requesting comment on a range of issues that may influence the design of a WMM recovery program. For example, the BLM is requesting responses to the following questions:
- What technologies and methods exist for the capture and use or destruction of high, medium, and low quality mine methane? What are the design, economic, and specific operational considerations of each technology or method?
- What are the acquisition and operation costs for equipment and facilities that can be used for the capture, use, or destruction of WMM?
- What are the possible financial impacts of incentives for the capture, use, or destruction of WMM?
- Would cooperative ventures or partnerships encourage methane capture and use, and how could the BLM assist with their formation?
- What are the barriers to WMM capture on federal land, and how might the BLM reduce these barriers to facilitate methane capture and use?
Return for taxpayers
As noted, the BLM is exploring the possibility of writing leases with financial incentives to encourage the recovery of WMM. However, the Bureau notes that it must also consider if such incentives would compromise the need for transparency and a fair return to taxpayers from federal mineral production.
BLM’s notice and request for comment were published in the April 29, 2014, FR.