Bureau of Land Management - San Juan Basin

COALBED METHANE DEVELOPMENT

IN THE NORTHERN SAN JUAN BASIN OF COLORADO

A BRIEF HISTORY

And

ENVIRONMENTAL OBSERVATIONS

A WORKING DOCUMENT

Compiled by

THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

SAN JUAN FIELD OFFICE

December 1999

(click on bullets or text to view list) (Disclaimer)

I. Introduction

Introduction

III. Natural Resources Studies/Monitoring/Response

	Early 1990 La Plata County Studies of Groundwater-Entrained Methane
	BLM Response to Environmental and Economic Concerns
	BLM Environmental Monitoring - HD Mountains
	BLM Further Environmental Monitoring and Baseline Database
	BLM Remediation Action Efforts
	The BLM Water Quality Database Today
	Gas Seepage at the Northern Basin Fringe
	Gas and Oil Requlatory Team
	Environmental Monitoring Including Soils - Incorporated in Mitigation Plans of the Tiffany enhanced CBM Recovery Project
	Remediation Results Across the San Juan Basin of Colorado to Date
	Soil Gas Monitoring at the fruitland Outcrop Along the San Juan Basin Rim
	Soil Vapor Monitoring Reflects Dewatering and the Coalgas Isotherm
	Hydrostatically "Over-Pressured" Coalgas Wells
	Soil Gas Monitoring Results
	Statistical Analysis
	Fruitland Coalbed Water Production
	Soil Temperature Data Loggers
	Aerial Photography
	Other Environmental Concerns - Coal Fires
	Other Environmental Concerns - Hot Springs

IV. Future Projections

Future of Coalbed Methane development

Future of Modeling and Monitoring of Development Impacts

Mitigation Questions

Mitigation to Date

Pending Mitigation Efforts

V. Summary and Conclusions

Summary and Conclusion

VI. References

References

Appendices

Data Statistic - Statistical analyses - Explanation and Charts

Results - Reservation Sites

Results - Off Reservation Sites

	Methane
	Oxygen
	Hydrogen Sulfide and Vapor Flow

Notes on the Measurements

Appendix

	Explanation of Column heading in Tables
	Table 17
	Table 18
	Table 19
	Table 20
	Table 21
	Table 22
	Table 23
	Table 24
	Table 25
	Table 26
	Table 27
	Table 28
	Table 29
	Table 30

Maps and Cross Sections

	San Juan Basin - Showing Location in Colorado
	San Juan Basin Cross-Section showing Hogback Monocline
	Time Stratigraphic Nomenclature Chart
	Conventional Gas Wells Drilled
	Cumulative Coalbed Methane Gas Production by Well
	Clinker Formation Sequence
	Well bore Configuration Illustrating Potential CBM Loss
	Critical Study Areas
	Location of Coalgas and Water-Monitoring Wells - Pine River
	Bradenhead Pressure of Gas Wells, 1994
	(Bradenhead Pressure > 25 psig with Groundwater Methane
	Stressed Vegetation Map (Southern Ute Land)
	Soil Vapor Tube Construction Design
	Cumulative Coalbed methane Water Production by Well
	Chloride Concentration in Produced Water
	Fruitland CBM Development and Coal Outcrop Monitoring System
	Northern San Juan Basin Monitoring Well locations of Interest