A field conference on Impacts of coalbed methane development in the Powder River basin, Wyoming

Coalbed methane (CBM) development from the Paleocene Fort Union Formation coal beds in the Powder River Basin in Wyoming has been rapidly expanding since 1993.  During the past ten years the number of CBM producing wells rose to about 4,000 wells as of October, 2000.  About 3,500 of these wells were completed since 1998.  About 13-14 percent of these CBM wells are on Federal lands while the majority are on State and private lands.  More than 50 percent of the lands in the Powder River Basin contains mineral rights owned by the Federal government.  CBM development on Federal lands creates impacts in the basin resulting from associated drilling, facilities, gas gathering systems (e.g., pipeline networks), access roads, and withdrawal and disposal of co-produced water from CBM wells.  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) assesses the land-use management and impacts of drilling CBM wells on lands where mineral rights are controlled by the Federal government.