Assessment of financial and environmental impacts of pre-mining methane drainage in Indian scenario : a case study using Jharia coal seams

Global coal deposits are often associated with trapped methane, whose nature and composition are similar to that of the natural gas. Compared to coal, this trapped methane is a superior as well as cleaner fuel but its fugitive emission from coal mines is also a serious environmental threat. In coal mines, sudden leakage of trapped methane leads to air contamination and gas explosion resulting into catastrophic accidents. Also, methane is a potential GHG and its fugitive emission has several adverse effects on environment such as global warming, climate change and so on. Since, GWP of methane is twenty-five times more than carbon dioxide and coal mines act as a potential source of methane emission, therefore methane handling becomes a primary responsibility for the coal dependent countries of the world for reducing the atmospheric emissions. The drainage of trapped methane from the coal seams prior to mining can be a possible solution towards reducing its fugitive emission and to utilize the same as a promising source of clean unconventional energy. The present paper discusses the environmental as well as the economic advantage of pre-mining methane drainage using the case study of highly gassy coal seams of Jharia coalfield.