IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v14y2021i19p6245-d647978.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Defining Uncertainty: Comparing Resource/Reserve Classification Systems for Coal and Coal Seam Gas

Author

Listed:
  • Tim A. Moore

    (School of Resources and Geoscience, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China
    School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia
    Cipher Consulting Pty Ltd., 6 Stardust Street, Kenmore, QLD 4069, Australia)

  • Mike C. Friederich

    (Independent Consultant, P.O. Box 636, Kenmore, QLD 4069, Australia)

Abstract

Transparent, objective, and repeatable resource assessments should be the goal of companies, investors, and regulators. Different types of resources, however, may require different approaches for their quantification. In particular, coal can be treated both as a solid resource (and thus be mined) as well as a reservoir for gas (which is extracted). In coal mining, investment decisions are made based on a high level of data and establishment of seam continuity and character. The Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code) allows deposits to be characterised based on the level of geological and commercial certainty. Similarly, the guidelines of the Petroleum Resource Management System (PRMS) can be applied to coal seam gas (CSG) deposits to define the uncertainty and chance of commercialisation. Although coal and CSG represent two very different states of resources (i.e., solid vs. gaseous), their categorisation in the JORC Code and PRMS is remarkably similar at a high level. Both classifications have two major divisions: resource vs. reserve. Generally, in either system, resources are considered to have potential for eventual commercial production, but this has not yet been confirmed. Reserves in either system are considered commercial, but uncertainty is still denoted through different subdivisions. Other classification systems that can be applied to CSG also exist, for example the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation Handbook (COGEH) and the Chinese Standard (DZ/T 0216-2020) and both have similar high-level divisions to the JORC Code and PRMS. A hypothetical case study of a single area using the JORC Code to classify the coal and PRMS for the gas showed that the two methodologies will have overlapping, though not necessarily aligned, resource and reserve categories.

Suggested Citation

  • Tim A. Moore & Mike C. Friederich, 2021. "Defining Uncertainty: Comparing Resource/Reserve Classification Systems for Coal and Coal Seam Gas," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-35, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:19:p:6245-:d:647978
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6245/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/19/6245/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ali Altowilib & Ahmed AlSaihati & Hussain Alhamood & Saad Alafnan & Sulaiman Alarifi, 2020. "Reserves Estimation for Coalbed Methane Reservoirs: A Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-26, December.
    2. Sarhosis, V. & Jaya, A.A. & Thomas, H.R., 2016. "Economic modelling for coal bed methane production and electricity generation from deep virgin coal seams," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 580-594.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zhao, Jingyu & Wang, Tao & Deng, Jun & Shu, Chi-Min & Zeng, Qiang & Guo, Tao & Zhang, Yuxuan, 2020. "Microcharacteristic analysis of CH4 emissions under different conditions during coal spontaneous combustion with high-temperature oxidation and in situ FTIR," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C).
    2. Dai, Shijie & Xu, Jiang & Jia, Li & Chen, Jieren & Yan, Fazhi & Chen, Yuexia & Peng, Shoujian, 2023. "On the 3D fluid behavior during CBM coproduction in a multi pressure system: Insights from experimental analysis and mathematical models," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 283(C).
    3. Evans, Neil & Jones, Calvin & Munday, Max & Song, Meng, 2019. "Economic effects in the UK periphery from unconventional gas development: Evidence from Wales," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 1037-1046.
    4. Xi, Xian & Jiang, Shuguang & Shi, Quanlin, 2023. "Study on the flow and bonding-reinforcement characteristics of composite foam slurry material used to block mine leakage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PD).
    5. Sergey Slastunov & Konstantin Kolikov & Andrian Batugin & Anatoly Sadov & Adam Khautiev, 2022. "Improvement of Intensive In-Seam Gas Drainage Technology at Kirova Mine in Kuznetsk Coal Basin," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-12, January.
    6. Wang, Yiwei & Deng, Ye & Guo, Xuqiang & Sun, Qiang & Liu, Aixian & Zhang, Guangqing & Yue, Gang & Yang, Lanying, 2018. "Experimental and modeling investigation on separation of methane from coal seam gas (CSG) using hydrate formation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 150(C), pages 377-395.
    7. Kang Yanfei & Fan Jinyang & Liu Peng & Du Junsheng & Jiang Deyi, 2021. "Permeability evolution in tectonic coal: The roles of moisture and pressurized water‐injection," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 11(4), pages 633-646, August.
    8. Fan, Lurong & Wang, Binyu & Song, Xiaoling, 2023. "An authority-enterprise equilibrium differentiated subsidy mechanism for promoting coalbed methane extraction in multiple coal seams," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 263(PA).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:14:y:2021:i:19:p:6245-:d:647978. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.