Latest technology transfer could reduce Chinese deaths from coal mines

 China is eager to tackle one of the main culprits behind its alarming coal mining deaths, as evidenced by the Pre-Mine Degassing Symposium held in southern China's Guizhou province on March 31 and the April 1st. Sponsored by the provincial Coal Mine Administration Bureau and the Coal Mine Safety Supervision and Inspection Bureau, coal mining executives gathered in Guiyang, a modest-sized city (by Chinese standards). ) of more than three million people, to discuss how the latest foreign technologies could help degas China's 2,000 coal mines, improving mine safety and reducing China's overall output of air pollution. More than 80 representatives from 40 coal mines attended in China's second-largest coal-producing province to learn about the latest foreign technology transfers, which could help reduce coal mining deaths.

Over the centuries, as organic matter is converted to coal, methane, also known as CH4 and the main constituent of natural gas, is produced during this process and stored in pockets within a coal seam. For every ton of coal produced, more than 5,000 cubic feet of methane are generated during the carbonification process. Coal mining releases this methane into the atmosphere. More than 90 percent of methane emissions come from underground coal mining. Because the gas content increases with depth, safety hazards increase during the underground coal mining process. Degassing coal mines has been shown to help make those underground coal mines safer for miners.

Volatile gases produced during the coal mining process reportedly kill more than 15 miners every day in China, about 80 percent of the world's coal mining fatalities. Premier Wen Jiabao, a mining engineer by training, has demanded that China improve conditions for Chinese coal miners. Critics such as Chinaworker.org say the underlying cause is a lack of investment in degassing equipment. The website claims that managers calculate that it is cheaper to pay meager death benefits to miners' families than to increase investment. The Economist magazine reported that Chinese coal miners earn as little as $60 a month.

China is also concerned about its air emissions from coal mining. Worldwide, the coal mining industry emitted more than 436 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2000. That represented about 8 percent of total industrial methane emissions that year. China, Russia, Poland, and the United States account for more than 77 percent of methane emissions from coal mining. Until 2020, China's share of global emissions will increase to 45 percent. These emissions could be dramatically reduced if Chinese coal mines captured methane gas to meet their growing energy needs, instead of venting it into the atmosphere every time a new coal tunnel is opened.

One of the main attractions of the Guiyang Pre-Mining Degassing Symposium was presentations on the latest coalbed methane drilling innovation by Tunaye Sai, director of China operations for Pacific Asia China Energy (TSX: PCE ; Other OTC: PCEEF), and Nathan Mitchell of Mitchell Drilling Company (MDC) in Brisbane, Australia. The coal mining companies opened talks with PCE after his presentation. Executives from fifty mines have shown interest in Dymaxion drilling technology to improve mining safety, Tunaye Sai said. Did they all show interest? All of them, replied Tunaye Sai. PCE reported in a press release on Wednesday, The PACE-MDC joint venture group is currently preparing a business plan for the immediate development of this new strategy in order to address the demand, which arose from the attendees of this symposium.

They are having problems at their mines, explained Tunaye Sai, who is also a member of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. Because they have not been able to degas their mines effectively, Tunaye Sai and Mitchell were immediately approached by four of the Chinese coal mining companies in attendance to use this state-of-the-art drilling technology. Earlier this year, PCE and MDC announced they were forming a joint venture to offer MDC's patented Dymaxion drilling technology to companies in China to help degas their ses modified multipurpose mineral drill rigs, specially designed bottom-hole assemblies and specially trained personnel. 

The technique involves drilling a 60 to 90 degree hole from the surface and steering it through a medium radius bend to enter the target coal seam horizontally. The 96mm hole is then steered for up to 1200 in the seam towards a previously drilled vertical production well. A homing device, lowered down the vertical well to the target seam, aids the intersection with the vertical well. The vertical well is also equipped with a suitable pump to dewater the seam. After the hydrostatic head has been sufficiently lowered, the methane gas will flow to the surface. Newspaper reports also say this technique allows for significant savings over alternate underground gas drainage drilling methods.

The Dymaxion technology obviously turned heads at the recent Gasification Symposium. One of the companies is a big company, mining 10 million tons of coal per year, said Tunaye Sai. Last December, 12 people died in one of the coal mining companys tunnels. He explained that when coal miners are opening a tunnel, the gas comes out sometimes explosively. By using the Dymaxion technique, they can let the gas out before they begin mining a tunnel, he added.

Discussions with the Chinese coal companies are in the initial stages. They want to give us a block not one that is being mined now, but one that may be mined in a few years, said Tunaye Sai. Were working on an arrangement right now because they are very interested. He explained that the relationship would involve a continuous process. We wouldnt just drill it and then abandon it, he added. We will be making sure that the gas will come out continuously and monitoring it.

Tunaye Sai said that Pacific Asia China Energy was targeting the larger mines. Among them, about ten companies mine about four million tons per year or more. Those are the ones we are talking to. PCE has ordered the drilling equipment, and it should arrive in China around October. As soon as it is there, we can implement our plan, maybe in November or December. He told us, They have been asking us to demonstrate the equipment for them. This may be an unexpected revenue surprise for Pacific Asia China Energy, and a blessing for Chinese coal miners whose lives may be spared, thanks to this latest technology transfer to China.