gas hydrate - CCOP

Coal Resources and CBM in South Korea
Park, Suk-Whan and Koh, Hee-Jae
Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM)
Gajung 30, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 305-350, Korea
ABSTRACT: Most coals in South Korea are anthracite or meta-anthracite, with Ro
(Reflectance in oil) = 3.5~5.5%. The total reserves are estimated to be about 1.5
billion metric tons. The anthracite coalfields occur only in the Permian and Jurassic
basins. Because all the coal-bearing sequences were highly deformed and
metamorphosed during the Mid-Triassic (Songrim Orogeny) and Late Jurassic
(Daebo Orogeny) tectonic episodes, the coals rank from anthracite through metaanthracite
to partly graphit.
Since 1987, because of drastic decrease in domestic demand for coal, the government
has carried out a rationalisation policy of the coal industry. Currently only seven
mines are producing coal and total production is less than 3 million tons per year.
Thus reutilization of coal resource was strongly recommended and a strategy to
explore and exploit resources of coalbed methane (CBM) in South Korea was
formulated. The Samcheog and Chungnam coalfields are targeted as areas for CBM
exploration in South Korea. Desorption of coals collected on the working face is
estimated to be in the range of 2.3 cc/g to less than 0.5 cc/g (dry, ash-free basis).
Preliminary results measured in the partially depressurized coal are promising as a
potential resource for coalbed gas.
In 2005, the Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources (KIGAM) launched
a three-year project, "Exploration of Coalbed Methane", ongoing for 3 years from
2005 in the Samcheog Coalfield. The project is sponsored by the Korea Energy
Management Corporation (KEMCO). Deep drilling for resources evaluation of CBM
will commence in 2007.
THE COAL INDUSTRY IN SOUTH KOREA
Coal is the only major indigenous energy resource currently known in South Korea. Most of
coals are anthracite containing about 5 percent of volatile matters. A small amount of lignite
occurs at the eastern margin of South Korea but is not being mined because of its limited
occurrence. Anthracite reserves total about 1.5 billion tons, of which 0.64 billion tons are
recoverable (Table 1). Following rationalisation of the coal industry, ownership of these
recoverable reserve is shared by Korea Coal Corporation (KOCOAL) with 15 percent (94
million tons), private mine operators with 3.5 percent (22 million tons) and the rest (81.5
percent, 520 million tons) belonging to the government. Ninety percent of the coal was
deposited during Permian period and the remaining 10 percent during the early Jurassic period.
Although there are, in all, nine significant coalfields in South Korea, most of the individual
minesare currently closed (Figure 1). With only seven coal mines being recently in
operation; four in the Samcheog Coalfield (SCCF), and one each in the Honam, Munkyeong
and Boeun coalfields.
New Energy Resources in the CCOP Region - Gas Hydrates and Coalbed Methane 119