Kansas Geological Survey, Public Information Circular (PIC) 19
Prev. Page--Mineral Rights and Leases
Kansas Geological Survey, Public Information Circular (PIC) 19
Prev. Page--Mineral Rights and Leases
The bituminous coals of eastern Kansas have great potential for large quantities of methane. In areas where the coals are deeper than 500 feet, and the gas has been trapped in the coals by thick overlying shales, economic quantities of methane gas may exist. Many other factors, such as the market price for natural gas, also determine the economic feasibility of exploring for coalbed methane in eastern Kansas.
Although the coal beds in eastern Kansas tend to be widely distributed, and several beds (up to 14) could be encountered in a well, the primary concern is the thinness of most of the coal beds and the correspondingly smaller volumes of gas. Evaluation of approximately 600 geophysical logs in eastern Kansas indicates that about 96 percent of the coal occurs in beds 14 to 42 inches thick (fig. 3) and only about 4 percent occurs in beds greater than 42 inches. The main strategy for exploring for coalbed methane in eastern Kansas will be to locate thicker coals or multiple coal beds to warrant viable economic development (fig. 4).
Most of the coals in eastern Kansas are less than 2,500 feet deep, so drilling costs should be relatively low. Many gas pipeline networks already exist, and Kansas has recognized disposal zones for the water that is produced with the methane. All these factors suggest that eastern Kansas is an important area for potential development of coalbed methane.
Figure 3--Outcrop of a thin coal bed in Cherokee County.
Figure 4--Coalbed methane well in Montgomery County, Kansas.
Kansas Corporation Commission
Conservation Division
Finney State Office Building
130 S. Market, Room 2078
Wichita, KS 67202-3802
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/
Kansas Geological Survey
1930 Constant Avenue
University of Kansas, West Campus
Lawrence, KS 66047-3726
(785) 864-3965
Core Library (785) 864-4909
Wichita Well Sample Library at 316-943-2343
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/
Baars, D. L., Watney, W. L., Steeples, D. W., and Brostuen, E. A., 1989 (revised 1993), Petroleum--A primer for Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Educational Series 7, 40 p. [available online]
Brady, L. L., 1997, Kansas coal resources and their potential for coalbed methane; in, Transactions of the 1997 American Association of Petroleum Geologists Mid-continent Meeting, September 14-16, G. McMahan, ed. and compl.: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, p. 150-163.
Clough, J. G., 2001, Coalbed methane--Potential energy source for rural Alaska: Alaska Geological Survey, Alaska GeoSurvey News, 5, no. 2, 3 p.
De Bruin, R. H., Lyman, R. M., Jones, R. W., and Cook, L. W., 2001, Coalbed methane in Wyoming: Wyoming State Geological Survey, Information Pamphlet 7 (revised), 19 p.
Nuccio, V., 2000, Coal-bed methane--Potential and concerns: U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet FS-123-00, 2 p. [available online]
Rice, D., 1997, Coalbed methane--An untapped energy resource and an environmental concern: U.S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet FS-019-97 [available online].
U.S. Department of Energy, 2000, U.S. crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids reserves, 1999 Annual Report: Energy Information Administration, U.S. Department of Energy, DOE/EIA-0216(99), 156 p.
Prev. Page--Mineral Rights and Leases
Kansas Geological Survey, Geology Extension
1930 Constant Ave., Lawrence, KS 66047-3726
Phone: (785) 864-3965, Fax: (785) 864-5317
bsawin@kgs.ku.edu
Web version November 2001
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/pic19/pic19_3.html