News:The Ministry of Coal has asked Coal India Limited (CIL) to produce 2 MMSCB((million metric standard cubic meters) per day of coalbed methane (CBM) gas in the next 2 to 3 years.
Facts:
About Coal Bed Methane:
- Coal bed methane(CBM) is an unconventional form of natural gas found in coal deposits or coal seams.
- It is considered as an alternative source for augmenting India’s energy resource.
Coal Bed Methane in India:
- India’s CBM resources are estimated at around 92 trillion cubic feet (TCF) or 2,600 billion cubic metres(BCM).
- India has the fifth largest proven coal reserves in the world and thus holds significant prospects for exploration and exploitation of CBM.
- The country’s coal and CBM reserves are found in 12 states of India, with the Gondwana sediments of eastern India holding the bulk.
- The Damodar Koel valley and Son valley are prospective areas for CBM development.
Significance of CBM:
- It can be used for power generation,
- As compressed natural gas (CNG) auto fuel,
- As a feedstock for fertilizers,
- Industrial uses such as in cement production, rolling mills, steel plants, and methanol production.
