UCG Engineering Ltd (UCGEL)
has been identified as the technology provider for a trial project in China to
investigate UCG in deep seams. A vacancy has occurred for an experienced
engineer with overseas project experience and knowledge of gasification
processes for a two-year assignment in China. See vacancy
for details
UCG in the Carbon Abatement Strategy
for the UK, June 2005.
The UK
Government has now published its strategy for developing carbon abatement technologies
for fossil fuel use. DTI/Pub URN 05/844, and is available on the
DTI website at
. For the section on underground coal gasification, readers should
go to page 53.
(A submission was prepared on how underground
coal gasification in conjunction with carbon capture and sequestration
can provide potential solutions to Carbon Abatement. See Response
by UCG Engineering Ltd)
International Pittsburgh Coal Conference, Pittsburgh, PA 12-15th
September 2005
Two papers are
to be presented on UCG at the International Pittsburgh Coal Conference,
Pittsburgh, PA, USA 12-15th September 2005. Both are in Session
No 38 on Thursday 15th September 2005. The first in entitled "UCG
Comparison of European and US Technologies" by Alan Singleton
and Michael Green. The other is "UCG in deep coal seams with
carbon capture and storage", by Michael Green, Brian Smart,
John Rippon, Robin Westerman, Jim Somerville all of Heriot Watt
University, and Peter Sage of Future Energy Solutions.
Directional Drilling in Coal
A DTI Technology
Status Report on Directional Drilling in Coal, largely drafted
by Michael Green, was published in March 2005. Underground
coal gasification, coal bed methane and exploration are the principal
applications of this growing technology. Copies are available for
download at
Review of the Feasibility of Underground Coal
Gasification (UCG) in the UK
The review was published in September 2004 and is available on
the website of the Department of Trade and Industry Cleaner Coal Programme as a pdf document
( 568kB) see . The document, which was produced
as part of the UK initiative on UCG, is cautiously positive on the
potential of UCG as a future energy source for the UK, provided
it is used in conjunction with carbon dioxide capture and storage
(UCG-CCS). The economic case for UCG-CCS based on the initial assessment
looks promising when compared to other CFF technologies, and the
available coal resource in the UK is significant, particularly beneath
the southern sector of the North Sea in the longer term. Planning
and environmental issues however remain a concern for onshore UCG.
International Workshop on Underground Coal
Gasification, London, October 2003
The UK held an international UCG workshop on underground coal
gasification in October, 2003. Over 70 delegates attended of which
a 21 came from overseas. A summary of the presentations and the
The presentations can be founde on the website of the Also available is a by Michael Green.
Forth Basin UCG Study - Heriot Watt University
The extensive UK coal resources under estuaries and the near-shore
North Sea are potential target area for UCG, and as a result, this
study of UCG in the Forth Basin, entitled "the
Coalmine of the 21st Century" has been initiated by Heriot-Watt
University's, Intsitute of Petroleum Engineering with support
from DTI, Scottish Enterprise and Scottish and Southern Energy Ltd.
The aim of this one-year study, which started in April 2004 is to
undertake a feasibility of UCG in the substantial coal resources
of the Firth of Forth and it will establish whether this area offers
prospects for large-scale UCG and power generation. A summary of
the study can be found on the and a paper has been prepared for the
Pittsburgh Coal Conference in September 2005, see above.
Other Publications on UCG produced in 2004
"The UK Initiative on Underground Coal Gasification",
M B Green and P W Sage, Institute of Chemical Engineers. 6th International Gasification Conference, Brighton,
UK, 10th-12th May 2004.
"Carbon Emission Reduction
with High Pressure Underground Coal Gasification" Poster to the 7th International
Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, 5-9 September,
Vancouver Canada.
Vacancy to work on UCG in China from October 2005