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Energy & Fuels 1996, 10, 1030
Book Reviews Coalbed Methane Extraction. By Robert M. Davidson, Lesley L. Sloss, and Lee B. Clarke. IEACR/76; IEA Coal Research: London, 1995; 67 pp. $180.00.
university teaching. The authors have done an excellent job on this report and made a significant contribution to the field. John C. Crelling, Southern Illinois University
This volume is an excellent addition to the IEA Coal Research Report series and will serve as a valuable guide to anyone interested in coalbed methane extraction. The extraction of coalbed methane is covered as a resource and not as a coal-mining problem. The book is broad in its scope. It discusses coal as a methane reservoir, estimating reserves and resources and their worldwide distribution, production technology, environmental management, and legal and economic issues. The authors make a number of interesting points on these topics. For example, the very high methane storage capacity of coal is offset by its relatively low permeability. They stress that the mathematics for estimating coalbed methane potential are still undeveloped and that there is no historical data base on which to draw. In regard to resources they point out that although Russia, Canada, China, and Australia have greater resources, the United States is by far the most advanced in coalbed methane production, with about 6600 active wells. They also point out that the operation of these methane wells in the United States has created an important body of experience that can be used in other places around the world. The largest environmental problem is the disposal of water produced with the methane. As with the previous IEA reports, this book is well written and edited. It is easy to read and carefully illustrated. The authors have done an excellent job of gathering published references on this topic, especially when even a casual look at them shows that much of the literature on this topic is widely scattered in conference proceedings, reviews, and government reports. This book will be quite useful to the geologist, engineer, or manager who is starting out in coalbed methane extraction, and it will serve well as a reference for those with more experience. Finally, as with all of the IEA reports that I have seen, it will be a superb resource for industrial and
EF950073H S0887-0624(95)00073-9
Coal Science, Volumes I and II. Edited by J. A. Pajares and J. M. D. Tascon. Elsevier: New York, 1995. lv + 2017 pp. $593.75. These two volumes contain the collected papers from the 8th International Conference on Coal Science in Oviedo, Spain, in September 1995. The publishers are to be congratulated on the rapid publication of these volumes which significantly increases their value. The contents are 493 papers, each 4 pages long. Many are reports of work in progress. Many of the results will become part of papers to be published in journals. Because the papers are so short and much will be republished, this volume has limited archival value. The limited length has advantages in forcing the authors to concentrate on their central and most important point. As a snapshot providing a brief look at most of the coal science being done today, these volumes are invaluable. All topics are well represented. All active coal researchers would do well to familiarize themselves with their contents. The quality of the papers varies widely. Many are excellent. Some are so poor as to raise feelings of embarrassment for the authors. I found the several evenings I spent with these books to be enjoyable and valuable. Their price will severely limit their availability, which is a shame. If you do not have a copy, you may wish to test your library’s budget by requesting their purchase. John W. Larsen, Lehigh University EF960047Z S0887-0624(95)00047-3
