99/00251 Drilling, well completion and engineering activities in preparation of the first underground coal gasification trial in the framework of a European community collaboration, Alcorisa, Spain

Abstract

The El Tremedal Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Test at great depth ({much_gt} 600 meters) is located near Alcorisa, province of Teruel, Spain. The program is jointly sponsored by Spanish, Belgium and UK organizations, and the European Commission. The main objective of the project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility of UCG at an intermediate depth, a significant increase in depth over that of previous successful USA trials of UCG by in-seam drilling. The trial has several technical objectives including the demonstration of drilling long in-seam holes at this depth via deviated drilling from the surface, the construction of a competent gas flow circuit between injection and production wells, and the demonstration of adequate coal conversion. The two first main objectives were completed successfully and the gasification operations, the third main objective, are scheduled to be conducted in June 1997.