Progress with MicGas® Technology

Pilot Scale Demonstration of MicGAS™ Coal
Biotechnology for in situ Biological Gasification of UnMinable Wyoming Sub-bituminous Coals
2014 Clean Coal Technology Research Symposium
School of Energy Resources
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY 82071
August 20-21, 2014
ARCTECH, Inc.
14100 Park Meadow Drive Chantilly, Virginia 20151
P: (703) 222-0280 F: (703) 222-0299 www.arctech.com
Introduction/Need


U.S. Geological Survey estimates that there are about
9.5 trillion tons of coal resources in the U.S.
(including Alaska), but the vast majority of these
resources are not economically and/or technically
recoverable.
Wyoming Geological Survey reported 61 Billion tons
are mineable and unmineable deep coal seams
estimated to be about one trillion tons in Wyoming
Rationale
• Under anaerobic conditions natural microorganisms
convert a variety of carbon containing materials into
methane
LANDFILLS
COAL MINES AND WASTE PILES
ANIMAL MANURES
RICE PADDIES
MUNICIPAL WASTEWATER
LAKE BEDS
• Microorganisms utilize carbon for growth and produce
biogas and byproducts
C270H240N3S1O90
MICROBES
CH3COOH + other VFAs
CH3COOH
METHANOGENS
CH4 + CO2
• Bioconversion is accomplished near ambient conditions,
thus potentially economic approach of converting coal
into clean fuels and byproducts
MicGASTM Coal Biotechnology Among U.S. Department of Energy 14
Transformation Technologies
US Department
of Energy 2007
Dr. Steven Chu sees an America free from foreign oil, powered by
home-grown genetically engineered and eco-friendly fuel.
The Nobel laureate gets his inspiration from the guts of termites.
The processes that allow insects to turn the hard fabric of plant
material - cellulose - into an ethanol-like fuel is the key to cheap,
clean-burning and virtually limitless fuel.
Mic1 Biotechnology Microbes from
Termite Guts
Isotope Data Support Biogenic Origin of Methane in
Coal Seams in Wyoming
Date
Collected
Sample ID
Can
Well
Location
δ13C C1
δ13C C2
δ13C C3
δ13C i-C4
April 3,05
Encana
Reculusa Ranch
#129
1-CH
-58.34
-39.21
-7.3
-29.13
8.38
April 3,05
Encana
Reculusa Ranch
#252
1-CH
-59.72
-38.87
-5.8
-29.13
9.5
April 2,05
Encana
Reculusa Ranch
#452
1-CH
-60.59
-38.16
-9.89
-28.07
9.73
April 2,05
Encana
Reculusa Ranch
#347
1-CH
-60.48
-38.63
-0.31
-27.33
8.6
δ13C n-C4
δ13C CO2
δ13C is an isotopic signature, a measure of the ratio of stable isotopes 13C : 12C, reported as parts
per thousand (per mil, ‰).
.
Methanogenic bacteria tend to metabolize more of the non-C13 carbon in coal, so the methane gas
they generate has lower amounts of C13 than thermogenically derived methane. Generally readings
of -40 or more negative strongly indicate a biogenic origin for the methane.
Objectives

Demonstrate the bench pilot scale applicability of
the MicGAS™ in situ approach to bioconvert coals
from the Powder River Basin to methane-rich
gas.
USGS Study Site at Research Station in Tongue
River in Powder River Basin

Drilling at Tongue River Site




In October 2011
Drilling activity in collaboration with
USGS was carried out
At a site near Birney, MT (45˚26ʹ06.2ʺN,
106˚23ʹ31.6ʺW) in the Tongue River
Basin, part of the larger geologic
structure of the Powder River Basin
situated in northeast Wyoming and
southeast Montana
Sedimentary basin containing more than
8,000 ft of Upper Cretaceous and
Tertiary rocks along its axis in the
western part of the basin
Collection of Core Coal and Formation Water
Samples

Coal:


Two core samples were
collected from each of the four
coal beds: Knobloch (145.9ft –
160.1ft), Calvert (167.1ft –
172.0ft), Nance (204.1ft 205.1ft), and Flowers-Goodale
(370.7ft-380ft)
Formation Water:

Three formation water samples
were collected from Terret,
Knobloch, and FlowersGoodale seams
Coal Characterization by Seam Depth: Ash and
Moisture Content (Proximate Analysis)
Core Sample
Coal Seam
(ft)
Sample
Analyzed from
Coal seam (ft)
Ash Content
(%)
Moisture
content (%)
Knobloch
135-160
159-160.1
8.36
26.6
Calvert
170-175
171-172
4.04
30.3
Nance
205-215
211.2-212.2
3.59
30.8
FlowersGoodale
370-395
370.7-371.7
10.55
22.2
Field-Measured Parameters for the Formation
Waters from Existing Wells
Parameter
Formation
water from Coal seam Conductivity,
Temperature,
ORP, mV
existing wells depth, ft
ms/cm
˚C
Dissolved
Dissolved
oxygen,
oxygen,
mg/L
% Saturation
Knobloch
135-160
4.84
-14.3
18.4
1.5
0.16
FlowersGoodale
135-160
3.53
-65
25
17.3-19.6
1.43-1.62
Terret
525-530
2.1
-61.5
17.8
2.5
0.24
Anoxic - "Ground water that has no dissolved oxygen or a very low concentration of dissolved
oxygen (that is, less than 0.5 mg/L)." - U.S. Geological Survey;
http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/vocs/national_assessment/report/glossary.html
MicAN Microbes Adaptation and Screening
Tests Procedure for Different Coals
Coals:
 Flowers-Goodale
 Calvert
 Nance
 Knobloch
60g of coal + 30 mL Medium + 10cc MicAN

Knobloch coal produced 648.8 SCF/ton/Year of biogas (78.8% methane),
the highest gas with MicGAS
Calvert Coal
800
450
700
400
600
350
500
Cum. Biogas
400
Cum. Methane
300
Cum. Carbon
Dioxide
200
Gas Volume (cc)
Gas Volume (cc)
Knobloch Coal
100
300
200
Cum. Methane
150
Cum. Carbon
Dioxide
100
50
0
0
0
50
100
150
200
0
Days Since Inoculation
50
100
150
200
Days Since Inoculation
Flowers-Goodale Coal
Nance Coal
100
90
80
70
60
30
Cum. Biogas
50
40
30
20
10
0
Cum. Methane
Cum. Carbon
Dioxide
Gas Volume (cc)
Gas Volume (cc)
Cum. Biogas
250
25
20
Cum. Biogas
15
Cum. Methane
10
Cum. Carbon
Dioxide
5
0
0
50
100
150
Days Since Inoculation
200
0
50
100
150
Days Since Inoculation
200
In situ Simulation Bench Pilot Demo Using Knobloch Coal and
MicGAS
Over 73 days a total of 1,262 mL of biogas with 679.7 mL methane was
produced from degradation of Knobloch core coal. This data was
extrapolated and productivity of biogas was 414 scf/ton of Knobloch coal
over 365 days
MicGASTM In Situ Facility Layout
Gas
Stage 2
Mic
Microb
es
Nutrients
Injection Well
Recovery well
Shale
Coal Seam
Stage 1
Shale
Preserving tomorrow’s world... today
Injection of MicGAS™ Nutrient Will Meet the Environmental
Regulatory Limits of All Classes of Aquifer
Mic microbes Nutrient Medium
Constituent or
Parameter, mg/L Concentration at After Injection (Assuming
Injection
10 times dilution)
Boron (B)
Chloride (Cl)
Cobalt (Co)
Copper (Cu)
Iron (Fe)
Manganese (Mn)
Nickel (Ni)
Nitrate (NO3-N)
Sulfate (SO4)
Zinc (Zn)
0.0525
892.76
0.0496
0.0035
0.2809
0.0083
0.0049
7.46
0.0595
0.0405
0.0052
89.276
0.0050
0.0003
0.0281
0.0008
0.0005
0.746
0.0060
0.0040
WYOMING UNDERGROUND WATER CLASS_Use Suitability
I_Domestic
II_Agriculture
III_Livestock
0.75
250
--1
0.3
0.75
100
0.05
0.2
5
0.2
0.2
--200
2
5
2000
1
0.5
--------3000
25
0.05
--10
250
5
Special (A)_
Fish/Aquatic Life
------0.01-0.04*
0.5
0.5
0.05-0.4*
----0.05-0.6*
* Dependent on hardness
SOURCE: WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
WATER QUALITY RULES AND REGULATIONS
CHAPTER 8 QUALITY STANDARDS FOR WYOMING GROUNDWATERS
Prevailing Government Regulations for Use of Biological
Approaches and for Monetizing Deep Un-minable Coals




2011 Wyoming Biogenic Gas Law allow permitting the use of
its deep un-mineable coal seams through use of
bioconversion approach
U.S. Department of Interior per 43 CFR 3480.0-5 regulations
allows underground coal gasification
Bureau of Land management guidance (IM WY-85-14) sets
forth royalty payment
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency -----------
Microbes Below Ground Are in
Commercial Use




Agriculture as Bio fertilizers and Bio Control
Soil and Groundwater Remediation
Energy – Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery
(MEOR)
Mining--- Leaching of low grade ores
Integrated MicGAS™ biotechnology
process flow scheme
Total Value Chain of HUMAXX MicGAS™ Coal Biorefinery Plant
100,000 Tons of
Wyoming Subbituminous Coal
APPLICATION USE
MicGAS™
Biorefinery
MicMicrobes +
Nutrients
Injection
50 ft thick seam,
20 Million Tons of
Coal on 240 acres
$45
Million $60
Million
Transportation
30 Million gallons of
gasoline and/or jet
fuels
Agricultures
4 Million Hectares
Non-Agricultures
2 Million Hectares
Industrial
Wastewater
Soil Remediation
Site Specific
Gas Treatment
Site Specific
Waste Recycling
56,000 Tons
Municipal Sewage
Water Recycling
20 Billion gallons
28 Billion gallons
Assumption: actosol®
and
$63
a-HAX™ go 50/50 to
Million $63
the each application.
Total Operating Revenues $399 Million
Million
Not
Net Operating Revenue $206 Million
Agriculture: 5 gallons of actosol®/ acre
e: of actosol®/acre
Non-Agriculture: 10 gallons
$168
Million
On 150 Million Capital Investment
NPV=$983 million
Rate of Return=41.3 percent
Wastewater: 5 lbs of HUMASORB®-CS/1000 gallon
Wastewater: 5 gallons of HUMASORB®-L/1000 gallon
Wastes Recycling: 250 gallons of a-HAX™ / 1 Ton
Municipal Sewage: 0.67 gallons of a-HAX™ /1000 gallon
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
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Gas Volume (SCF/Ton/Year)
MicGAS™ Coal Biotechnology Applicable to
Deep Stranded Coals from Various Countries
MicGAS™ Coal Biotechnology Applicable to
Mined Coals from Various Countries
Gas Volume (SCF/Ton)
8000
USA
7000
India
6000
Poland
5000
Turkey
4000
3000
USA
Turley
Turkey
2000
Brazil
Indonesia
1000
0
China
Poland
USA
USA
Conclusions– for Applicability to Wyoming



MicGAS™ approach for biogasification of un-minable deep coal seams
offers a potential for the creation of a new paradigm for the production
of lower cost and higher volume gas than the current approach to CBM.
The State of Wyoming enacted 2011 Biogenic Gas Law paves the way for
establishing controls so that the local environment is protected.
Seeking funding for field scale deployment in the Wyoming Coal Fields
Acknowledgement

School of Energy Resources Selected this Project and Funded

USGS Collaboration and Co Funded this Project

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