The purpose of the Geo-Metan program is to develop and improve national technologies for the exploration and production of methane from coal seams prior to mining operations. Thanks to the cooperation between Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo SA, Polska Grupa Górnicza, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa SA and Tauron Polska Energia SA, it will be possible to carry out exploration and production works on mining areas where coal mining is planned. - Methane from coal seams can become an important element of our country's energy security. At the same time, the methane drainage of mines will significantly improve the work safety of miners and may accelerate the rate of coal mining. I am glad that together with other Polish mining and energy companies PGNiG will develop technologies that allow for the extraction of methane from coal seams - says Piotr Woźniak, President of the Management Board of PGNiG SA.
Daniel Ozon, President of the Management Board of JSW stressed that methane is extremely dangerous gas accompanying coal seams. - The more gas we capture and use to produce electricity, the greater the environmental benefits will be due to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions into the air. The JSW Group focuses on environmentally friendly solutions, that is why we want to maximize the usage of methane during mining operations. In our strategy until 2030, we plan a number of investments related to its economic use, thanks to which we will increase the production of electricity by gas engines from the current 90 thousand MWh to 490 thousand MWh after 2022 - said the president of JSW.
PGNiG together with the National Geological Institute - National Research Institute is already conducting test mining of methane from coal seams in Gilowice (Śląskie Voivodeship). In the course of trial production from February 2017, nearly 900,000 m³ of natural gas with high methane content was obtained. According to the estimates of PIG-PIB, extractable methane resources in coal deposits in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin amount to approx. 170 billion m³.
