Monitoring for methane gas in Carbon and Emery Counties, Utah, 1995-2003

Abstract

Substantial production of methane gas has come from coal beds in central Utah (fig. 1) since the early 1990s. Methane is generated as a byproduct during formation of coal and released when ground water is pumped from geologic formations that contain coal beds. Methane gas in Carbon and Emery Counties is produced from coal beds and sandstone in buried geologic formations that extend along the western edge of the San Rafael Swell in an area commonly referred to as the Ferron coal trend.