U.S. Geological Survey
Energy Resource Surveys Program

Coalbed gas


Coalbed gas is stored in two ways within coal. The majority of gas occurs as sorbed gas on internal surfaces of the coal. Methane also occurs as free and dissolved gas in cleats (natural fractures) and pores within the coal. To produce coalbed gas, it must be "desorbed" from internal coal surfaces and then migrate out of the matrix by diffusion into the natural fracture system where it can flow into the production well.


|| Coalbed Methane in the Forest City Basin ||


This USGS Fact Sheet can be found at <URL:http://energy.usgs.gov/factsheets/Forest/fig1.html>
Maintained by L. Friedrich Last updated 20-Oct-1997