ALBUQUERQUE, April 14 (UPI) -- A list of best available practices was released Wednesday for developing coal bed methane, a resource expected to be an energy boom to western North America.
The manual was released at the Western Governors Association energy summit in New Mexico. During the meeting Wyoming Gov. Dave Freudenthal and Alberta Premier Ralph Klein said methane gas is expected to have an enormous potential as a long-lasting energy supply.
The drawback of coal bed methane is that it requires large amounts of water to produce, which creates environmental concerns about contamination of groundwater and even the lowering of the local water table.
The manual recommends water-management planing specific to the area being developed, as well as consultations with local land owners and water users. The plans should include monitoring of water quality and wetlands in the area.
