How much methane gas is estimated will be extracted from the Powder River Basin?
Estimates of amounts of methane gas in the Powder River Basin vary and are often re-calculated. There are several methods to estimate the amount of recoverable gas from a coal seam, all having varying degrees of accuracy. According to the U. S. Geological Survey (2001), the amount of recoverable CBM in the Powder River Basin ranges from 8.24 – 22.42 TCF. The Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (2002) estimates 31.8 TCF of recoverable CBM in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming alone. The Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology and the U.S. Department of Energy have separately estimated 0.8 – 1.0 TCF of recoverable CBM in the Powder River Basin of Montana. The Environmental Impact Statement for coal bed methane development in the Powder River Basin of Montana reports 2.5 TCF of recoverable gas.
