Coalbed methane recovery breakthrough could boost energy supplies for millions.
The type of coal affects how much methane can be recovered from it. High and medium rank coal have higher recovery ratios when they have higher porosity, gas storage properties, and desorption rates. This means that coal with more space for gas to be stored and released can yield more methane during extraction. The study looked at coal in the Qinshui basin and found that these factors play a big role in how productive and efficient the extraction process can be.