Coal Mine Methane, US: TOWER, Utah

, IndiaOperating

The Tower project is an abandoned mine methane scheme located in Price, Utah, US. The project is located at the abandoned Tower coal mine complex. The project captures, processes, and sells pipeline quality gas derived from mine methane that would otherwise migrate to the atmosphere through mine shafts and ground fissures. The project was validated under the Voluntary Carbon Standard in July 2011, and is expected to generate 1 million VCUs over its life.

Methane gas from the abandoned mine is extracted through up to 10 vertical gob wells drilled into the mine. The methane gas is collected, compressed, and piped to an on-site processing facility that removes a range of contaminants. After processing, gas is delivered and sold into a natural gas pipeline and ultimately combusted by various downstream uses.

Sindicatum has an advisory role on this project. Sindicatum was responsible for designing elements of the project that are associated with mine methane destruction and certification. This includes designing the monitoring and measurement system that integrates with the company’s existing operating system, writing project documentation, managing the project validation/verification, and advising the project owner on monetization of its carbon credit portfolio.