What is the Coal Seam Gas process?
Coal seam gas (CSG) collects in underground coal seams by bonding to the surface of coal particles. The coal seams are generally filled with water, and it is the pressure of the water that keeps the gas as a thin film on the surface of the coal. Coal seam gas is extracted through wells drilled into coal seams. The initial phase of CSG production usually involves the extraction of water from the coal seams in order to reduce the water pressure and release gas from the coal. If the pressure within the seam is high, the gas may flow to the surface unaided. Conversely, the gas may have to be pumped to the surface if the pressure is lower. When coal seam gas comes to the surface, water in the gas is separated. Coal seam gas is a natural gas consisting primarily of methane it is used in the same ways as natural gas including fuelling natural gas appliances such as heaters and stoves and the generation of electricity.
