About Uglemetan
«Center of Coal and Methane Researches – «Uglemetan» is a scientific and technological organization founded in 2002 in order to co-ordinate and develop international co-operation while undertaking projects applying the most modern technologies for coal mine methane recovery and utilization, and also applying ‘clean’ environment-friendly technologies at Fuel and Energy Complex (FEC) enterprises.
Uglemetan has recently expanded its work into geophysical surveys. These surveys are not only of benefit to coal companies for improving the methane recovery from mines but also for defining the coal structure, including the adjacent strata. Knowing the physical and dimensional characteristics of the coal and adjacent strata minimizes the surprises that the mining companies would experience when they are in the process of mining out the coal. The geophysical surveys can forecast many characteristics of the coal and nearby strata. These can include locations and extent of faulting as well as describe variables such as brittleness of the roof rock in underground mines. They can also be used to find possible occurrences of groundwater near mines and whether such water sources might impact suface or underground mines.
«Uglemetan» employs the most modern technologies for coal mine methane resource definition and utilization as well as for the geophysical surveying. They are likely the only company in the world to offer underground, in-mine seismic surveying capabilities that use wireless geophones for data acquisition.
«Uglemetan» possesses necessary informational and analytical base for:
- Providing potential investors with the services necessary for undertaking methane recovery and utilization projects at the coal mines in Kuzbass and other coal basins of Russia;
- Offering state-of-the-art equipment and techniques for geophysical surveying in coal fields and at coal mines;
- Assisting project participants in the field of coal mine methane with political, institutional and technical issues;
- Providing solution of possible problems and increasing efficiency of technical projects realization.
Additional services provided by the Center includes technical translations, material and technical assistance of new technologies application, undertaking permeability and desorption tests at coal and gas deposits, and preparation of carbon documentation (PIN, PDD) according to the standards of UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The estimation of coal bed methane resources are being made taking into consideration economic and technological prospective for coal bed methane utilization.
«Uglemetan»’s Experience
«Uglemetan» has established many international connections. In cooperation and with the grant assistance of US EPA our Company has fulfilled works for support and distribution of international experience in coal mine methane recovery and utilization at coal enterprises in Russia. Our Company published 14 issues in Russian and English, held 5 technical seminars on modern CMM degasification and utilization technologies, organized International Conference «Reduction of methane emissions into the air» (Novosibirsk, June 18-23, 2000), equipped a laboratory, trained personnel and made determinations of permeability and desorption characteristics of coal seams. With grants from the US AID/ROLL program the Company developed feasibility studies for methane recovery and utilization at several mines in Kuzbass, and with grants from the US EPA/Pacific Northwest Division of Battelle Memorial Institute an analysis of factors preventing development of CMM utilization in Kuzbass and Russia was completed.
The Company has completed work with the programs of the UK Department of Trade and Industry «Clean Coal Technologies» and «Carbon Emissions Reduction» translating about 20 program documents into Russian, including their publication and distribution among 600 profile addressees in Russia. We also held a technical seminar with participation of specialists from leading British companies producing equipment for power engineering enterprises in Kuzbass. Other British companies have also partnered with NPO «Uglemetan», including Climate Mitigation Works Limited, British Geological Survey, Wardell-Armstrong LLP, and IT Power. Some of these partners were collaborators in the carbon documentation (PIN and PDD) that was developed for CJSC «Severstal-Resource» for CMM degasification and utilization system modernization at the mines in the Pechorsky Coal Basin, Komi Republic.
«Uglemetan» has developed close relationships and business contacts with coal and gas companies in Russia. Thus, methane resources were defined for the large power engineering company JSC «Belon» at that Company’s coal fields, and for JSC «Promgaz» (JSC «Gazprom»’s affiliated company) methane resources were estimated in coal seams of Taldinskoye coal deposit. The latter was developed under the project «Experimental and industrial development of methane resources of Kuznetsky coal basin».
«Uglemetan» took active part in the organization and completion of the Committee of Oil and Gas of the international «Methane to Markets – М2М» partnership in Tomsk where leading companies from the USA, Germany, Mexico, Canada, and UK participated.