The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO; Melbourne, Australia) is partnering with China United Coalbed Methane Corp. (CUCBM) on a $10 million joint demonstration project that will store 2,000 metric tons (m.t.) of CO2 underground in the Shanxi Province and extract methane for use as an energy source.
Contrary to the usual vertically drilling, the enhanced coal bed methane (ECBM) wells in this project will be drilled horizontally meaning the entry point of the well is more directly embedded in the coal seam. This should increase the flowrate of CO2 for underground storage.
The ECBM project received funding from the Chinese and Australian Governments as part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.The project builds upon CSIRO’s existing collaborations with China, which include supporting the launch of a post combustion capture (PCC) pilot plant in Beijing and the first capture of CO2 in China using PCC technology.
