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The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Special Volumes

Abstract


Pub. Id: A138 (1984)

First Page: 271

Last Page: 293

Book Title: SG 17: Coalbed Methane Resources of the United States

Article/Chapter: Geologic Overview, Coal, and Coalbed Methane Resources of the Greater Green River Coal Region -- Wyoming and Colorado

Subject Group: Basin or Areal Analysis or Evaluation

Spec. Pub. Type: Studies in Geology

Pub. Year: 1984

Author(s): J. P. McCord

Abstract:

The Greater Green River coal region includes an area of approximately 21,000 sq mi in southwestern Wyoming and northwestern Colorado. It includes the Hams Fork Coal Region in the western Wyoming Overthrust Belt, and the Green River, Great Divide, Washakie, and Sand Wash structural basins. Coal is found in Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary formations that crop out on the flanks of the contiguous uplifts and dip into the basinal areas. A conservative estimate of the coal resource within this region, to a depth of 3,000 ft (6,000 ft in the Yampa/Sand Wash Basin), is approximately 82 billion short tons.

The presence of methane in coal within the Greater Green River coal region is indicated by both indirect evidence and measured gas content of coal samples. Indirect evidence includes:

-- Coal mine methane emissions
-- Blowouts and mud-log gas kicks experienced while drilling through coalbeds
-- Dry gas fields with production from coal-bearing intervals.

Gas content measurements of coal samples are available for several locations within the Greater Green River coal region. This limited data base indicates a methane content ranging from less than 10 cubic feet/ton (cf/ton) of coal to more than 500 cf/ton. Based on these data and the estimated magnitude of the coal resource, it is estimated that the Greater Green River coal region contains between 0.2 and 30 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) of coalbed methane.

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