Pumped carbon mining methane production process
US7467660B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 31, 2006 |
| Grant date | Dec 23, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 8, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC10G2400/26
- WIPO fieldBasic materials chemistry
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The invention is a continuous process for producing methane from an underground coal bed or an above ground carbon-containing resource using hydrogen as a recycling working fluid. For an underground coal seam, the process includes injecting (220) hydrogen into the coal seam to form a reaction effluent of methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide; extracting the reaction effluent (230) for processing above ground; cleaning the reaction effluent (120); cooling the cleaned reaction effluent (130) and processing it through a water gas shift reactor (140); separating (150) hydrogen, methane, and carbon dioxide into separate streams; producing the carbon dioxide stream (160) as a product gas; processing a first portion (170) of the methane stream in a steam reformer, water gas shift reactor and gas separator (180) to produce segregated flows of hydrogen and carbon dioxide, combining the segregated hydrogen flow with the separated hydrogen stream (190); heating and repressurizing (200) the combined hydrogen stream to the temperature and pressure of the hydrogen in the first step; producing a second portion (210) of said methane stream as a product gas; and injecting (220) the combined hydroge…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.