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Main Forum•Linc Energy is the majority holder of Wyoming state-owned coal leases in the Powder River Basin
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Linc Energy submitted the first portion of its research and development (R&D) license application to the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality-Land Quality Division (WDEQ-LQD) to build and operate a 90 day Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) demonstration facility in one of the richest coal resources in the world, Wyoming's Powder River Basin (PRB). The second portion of the license application is slated for submission in the first quarter of 2012.
The R&D license application is based upon more than sixteen months of continuous work and collection of baseline data that includes detailed hydrogeology models, UCG cavity growth models, the drilling of over 50 wells and subsidence control models prepared using Linc Energy's proprietary UCG technology.
Linc Energy is the majority holder of Wyoming state-owned coal leases in the PRB by a broad margin, controlling approximately 184,210 acres of coal or about 2.2 per cent of the 8.2 million acres within the Wyoming PRB.
According to the Wyoming State Geological Survey, the PRB contains nearly 1.2 trillion tonnes of coal.
Following the submittal of the second portion of the R&D license application in December 2011, the WDEQ-LQD will perform a completeness and technical review and then open a one month public comment period. At the conclusion of this process, which is anticipated to take approximately 240 days, the WDEQ will make a decision on the application.
Once the R&D license is issued, construction of surface facilities and the drilling of the gasifier process wells will commence. Construction time should be reduced as much of the UCG underground monitoring structures will already be in place. Linc Energy anticipates igniting the gasifier to complete a 90 day gasification demonstration at the Wyoming UCG Demonstration Site in the third quarter of 2012.
The facility will allow Linc Energy to prove to US stakeholders the viability of Linc Energy's UCG technology in the PRB and similar basins in the United States.
I hold LNC
About UCG
Previous posts about LNC by Sparty -
Do you know if Wyoming have an underground water basin? In Oz the certainty of not polluting the water from the Great Artisan Basin is the major hurdle for UCG companies. I'm not convinced either way. But if there is no water basin then there is not problem... crack away.
What does it mean when Linc are the majority Holder of a State owned coal asset? Does Linc have more rights to drill?
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Hi Alite, the Powder River coal beds are more than 500 feet below the surface and some are very deep at around 1800 feet. At these depths the pressure outside of the burn chamber are such that it is relatively easy to maintain the necessary -ve pressure inside the burn chamber to prevent egress of gas/solutes etc. Secondly the coal seams are encased by very low permeability siltstone rocks.
See http://www.syngasrefiner.com/ucg/Pres/StephanPMorzenti.pdfI wonder why you use the term "crack" as in fact the UCG process isn't cracking as in using a catalyst to promote a reaction, it is a burn that is supported by Oxygen consumption.
Fraccing isn't used in UCG!
The state of Wyoming coal leases: The importance of this relates to how Wyoming taxes coal mining.... if coal is surface mined the royalty is 12.5% if mined underground and that includes underground coal gasification the royalty is reduced to 8%.
The image below shows some interesting details re the potential of the Powder River Coals and the significance of LNC's dominance. Also of great interest is the difference in energy that can be extracted when compared to the CBM methodology that our Queensland Govt. so ardently supports.
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Sparty, excellent info. Your point that catalysts (that some think may pollute a water basin) are not used in this technology is well made.
All I can say for now is ... I like it.
307 BILLION tons ... wow. Low permeable rock around the coal... great. An ability to stop the burning by turning off the oxygen rounds out a very safe practice.
It is time I looked into Link more closely.
Alite.
