New breakthrough in gasified coal mining

Thread Content

Through independent innovation in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia, SNOW Group has developed and utilized a wellless gasification coal mining technology for coal extraction; as of January 30, it had achieved continuous and stable gas production for 100 days, with an average calorific value of 3.977 megajoules per standard cubic meter. This marks the success of China’s wellless gasification coal mining technology, as well as China’s advancement to the forefront of the world in this technical field. 　　Wellless gasification coal mining involves the controlled combustion of coal underground, which triggers thermal and chemical reactions that produce combustible gases such as carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane. These gases can then be used in chemical synthesis to create a range of chemical products that serve as alternatives to petroleum. According to experts, wellless gasification coal mining is suitable for coal deposits that are difficult to extract or unprofitable to mine, such as lignite with high ash content, high moisture levels, and low calorific value. By carrying out gasification directly underground, it is possible to **reduce pollution, lower costs, and improve safety levels. 　　The vast grasslands in eastern Inner Mongolia contain 200 billion tons of lignite, and many people worry that if this coal is extracted, will the grasslands still exist? In fact, shaftless gasification coal mining only requires drilling ignition holes, air supply holes, and gas collection holes from the surface down into the ground, and its recovery rate can reach 75%–95%, compared to 50% for traditional coal mining. It was precisely these factors that convinced Newao Group to take risks and be innovative; it invested 300 million yuan in carrying out China’s first industrial-scale pilot project that utilized the wellless gasification coal mining method to produce electricity, methanol, and methane simultaneously. This project was designated as a key research project by the Inner Mongolia Department of Science and Technology and the Ulanqab City Science and Technology Bureau. 　　Since drilling began on April 18, 2007, without any existing data, technical personnel and workers designed, constructed, and tested simultaneously. Various types and configurations of underground gasification furnaces were designed, multiple ignition devices and methods were explored, and continuous and stable production of high-quality gas was sought through ongoing research, resulting in a series of technologies with independent intellectual property rights. As one technical challenge after another was overcome, a pilot base for gasification coal mining projects was established on the once barren and desolate land, integrating an underground gasifier along with associated above-ground gas collection systems, preliminary gas purification and desulfurization systems, and a wastewater treatment system. The wellless gasification coal mining method was successfully ignited on October 15, 2007, and qualified gas was produced on October 22. With the success of wellless gasification coal mining, SNOW GROUP began constructing a 20,000-ton methanol production line and is also working on building a power plant.