Coalbed Methane Development

**Research and Development Concerning Coalbed Natural Gas: CBNG Produced Water Investigations
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, the Ruckelshaus Institute is coordinating 10 research tasks including:
1: Project management and outreach.
2: Estimation of recharge in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming with uncertainty bounds.
3: Monitoring and modeling of groundwater contamination of trace elements from CBNG disposal ponds across the Powder River Basin, Wyoming.
4: Environmental tracers applied to quantifying impact of CBNG-related water production on surface and ground water and soil in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming.
5: Toolbox to evaluate treatment technologies for coalbed natural gas co-produced water.
6: Application of CBM water to improved oil recovery by low salinity waterflooding in Wyoming.
7: Enhancing the beneficial use of CBNG waters.
8: Longitudinal changes in toxicity of coal bed natural gas produced water along Beaver Creek in the Powder River Basin, Wyoming.
9: Enhanced risk assessment of West Nile virus resulting from coalbed natural gas production waters.
10: Integrating CBNG science and management: lessons learned and ways forward.

View the current status report for this project
 

**Water Production from Coalbed Methane Development in Wyoming:  A Summary of Quantity, Quality, and Management Options

In response to a request from the Governor's Office, this report was prepared to summarize issues concerning water that is co-produced during coalbed methane development:

Additional documents that support this report:
Coupal, R.  2005.  Review of Economic Issues Associated with CBM Development.  Technical Support Document prepared for UW's Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources.  Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics, University of Wyoming, Laramie.
 
Hulme, D.  2005.  CBM Co-Produced Water Management, Disposal, Treatment and Use.  Technical Support Document.  William D. Ruckelshaus Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie.
 

**The First Conference on Coalbed Natural Gas Research, Monitoring and Applications was held on August 17-19, 2004 in Laramie.  Please follow the link to view the agenda and copies of some presentations.  Also, the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) has published the conference proceedings as Public Information Circular No. 43 (PIC-43), titled Coalbed natural gas conference: I – Research, monitoring, and applications. The papers are generally in extended abstract form and most contain figures, tables, maps, and references as presented at the conference. The report is available from the Publications Sales Office at the WSGS in Laramie for $15.00 (Wyoming addresses add 6% sales tax) plus $6.00 for shipping and handling. To order, call 307-766-2286, ext. 224; fax 307-766-2605; or email sales-wsgs@uwyo.edu.