Morgantown Energy Technology Center Research Articles

Observations of fluidized bed coalescence using capacitance imaging

A unique method for imaging voidage within a fluidized bed has been developed at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC). This system allows high speed three-dimensional imaging of the voidage distribution in a bed to be recorded. From this imaging data a wide variety of visualizations can be created and various kinds of quantitative information extracted. Three materials with differing particle sizes were fluidized over a range of superficial velocities in a 15.24 cm diameter bed. The bed was imaged in a zone 1.25 to 2 bed diameters above the grid. This is a region which shows appreciable bubble growth and a transition of the flow regime from bubbling to slugging. The imaging allowed bubble sizes and rise velocities to be measured, revealed detailed voidage distributions, provided images of several forms of coalescence, and provided measurements of the expansion of the emulsion phase under some conditions. The imaging data point out several shortcomings of the two-phase representation of fluidized beds and the need for alternate models which better represent the voidage structure, at least in the grid-influenced region of fluidized beds. The technique has the potential to substantially improve design and scale-up of fluidized beds and other gas-solid systems by providing a detailed understanding of the gas-solids dynamics.

National workshop on gas hydrates

The range of present knowledge on the subject of gas hydrates and related federal research programs was the topic of discussion at the National Workshop on Gas Hydrates, April 23–24. The intention of the meeting was to provide the impetus for an expanded and broader‐based national research program in both academia and government. Held at the U.S. Geological Survey National Center, Reston, Va., the workshop was organized by Michael D. Max, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C.; William P. Dillon, USGS, Woods Hole, Mass.; and Rodney D. Malone, U.S. Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, Morgantown, W.Va. The 33 attendees represented academia (33%), federal agencies (58%), and industry (9%).

The direct sulfur recovery process

AbstractThe Research Triangle Institute under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center, is developing the Direct Sulfur Recovery Process (DSRP) for converting either reduced or oxidized sulfur gases directly to elemental sulfur. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the effects of stoichiometry, pressure, temperature, space velocity and steam content. Pressure was found to be the most important variable. Increasing pressure from 1.5 atm to 20 atm quadrupled the sulfur recovery at equivalent space velocity. Sulfur recoveries from dilute SO2 streams were greater than 96% in tests simulating the first stage of reaction. In the first stage of reaction, SO2 is directly reduced to elemental sulfur by coal gas or other reducing gases at high temperature and high pressure. Under second‐stage reaction conditions, recoveries ranged from 80 to 98% depending on operating conditions. Combined with a first‐stage conversion of 96%, this translates into overall conversions of 99.2 to 99.9%. Preliminary economic comparisons with conventional processes that could be used for treating dilute SO2 tail gases showed a decisive cost advantage for the new catalytic process. The effectiveness of the high‐pressure, high‐temperature DSRP on H2S containing gases has also been demonstrated. Direct conversions of H2S to elemental sulfur ranged to 98% in a single stage of reaction using near stoichiometric amounts of air or oxygen. Bench‐scale development is ongoing to investigate a variety of reactor types and configurations.

Coal-Fueled Diesels: Systems Development

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Fossil Energy has sponsored research in the area of coal-fueled diesel engines since the late 1970s. The program began as an exploratory effort and has grown into a proof-of-concept program that includes several major medium-speed diesel engine manufacturers. Those manufacturers have identified the utility, industrial cogeneration, and transportation markets as areas in which expensive clean distillate fuel may be displaced by low-cost, domestically abundant coal. The development of a coal-fueled diesel engine system will require the parallel development of coal fuels, engine components, wear and emission control system, and a support infrastructure. Because of notable success in earlier projects of the coal-fueled diesel program, the DOE’s Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) recently expanded the program with the award of contracts for two 5-year, proof-of-concept project. These major projects will build on the results of past work to complete development of technology for the commercialization of coal-fueled diesel engines. This paper summarizes progress in the DOE program and planned research to overcome technical and economic barriers to that commercialization.

Environmental Aspects of Coal-Fueled Diesel Engines

Conventional diesel engines are considered by some to be contributors to environmental problems since they emit NOx, a suspected acid rain precursor. Initial testing has shown that CWS-fueled diesels emit substantially reduced NOx emissions. While emissions of particulates and SOx may be potentially higher with coal fuels, assessment of the control technology indicates excellent potential for meeting existing and future standards for these emissions. As a result of activities managed by the Morgantown Energy Technology Center, the economic and technical feasibility of CWS-fueled diesel engines has been determined. Recently, both General Electric and A. D. Little/Cooper Bessemer were selected for 5-year contracts aimed at developing by 1993 the components and subsystems necessary for subsequent private sector demonstration and commercialization of coal-fueled diesel power systems. The development of these CWS-fueled systems will necessitate the application of hot gas cleanup contaminant control technology to ensure that the systems burn coal in an environmentally sound manner. The objective of this paper is to discuss the environmental concerns, emission goals, and the control methodologies, devices, and strategies that will be used to ensure CWS-fueled diesel engines will meet current and potential environmental standards.

Application of Remote Geologic Analysis to Gas Exploration in Morgantown Energy Technology Center's Study Area 1, West Virginia: ABSTRACT

Pacific Northwest Laboratory's Remote Geologic Analysis (RGA) system uses a unique, automated pattern-recognition approach to identify potential fracture zones (of any dip from vertical to < 40{degree}) by coplanar analysis of their geomorphic expression in digital models of topography. For its first oil and gas-related field trial, the authors applied the RGA system to the fracture characterization of Morgantown Energy Technology Center's Study Area 1 in the Big Sandy gas field in southwestern West Virginia. They selected this site to blind test their technology because of the characterization data available from well drilling, gas production, and seismic surveys. The Morgantown staff used these data and performed a geologic analysis of the region coincidentally but separately from their fracture analysis to ensure that they did not introduce bias into their interpretations. Their structure and isopach maps show significant trends in the faulting and folding of the producing formations that control production volumes, which correlate well with the principal interpreted fracture sets from their results. Three fracture sets for the Big Creek, West Virginia, 1:24,000 quadrangle parallel major geologic structures that are associated with basement faulting (steep dip, northeast trend) and thrust faulting (60{degree} dip, northwest trend). These structures appear, in combinationmore » with anticlinal folding, to enhance gas production. To date, only the most prominent fracture planes from their analyses have been correlated with the large-scale structural features (basement faulting) in the study area. The next step in this field trial will be to determine if lesser planar features from their analyses correlate with the detailed structural geology and regional geomorphology of the rocks exposed at the surface.« less

Development of an Extractive Continuous Monitor For Hydrogen Chloride (Hc1) Analyses of Coal-Derived Process Streams

Abstract An HC1 monitor has been developed at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) for the extractive analysis of hightemperature/high-pressure, coal-derived process streams. This monitor is capable of HC1 concentration measurement in the presence of all known coal gasification products. Detection is based on the ability of HC1 to protonate a high boiling alcohol (solvent) and, thus, enhance the conductivity of the alcohol. Conductivity is then related to HC1 concentration. the observed high degree of sensitivity that can be achieved is a result of analyte preconcentration prior to the conductivity measurement due to the apparently fast dissolution rate of HC1 into the alcohol solvent coupled with a large analyte gas-to-solvent ratio. the linear dynamic range of the HC1 monitor is two orders of magnitude. However, since the degree of preconcentration can be adjusted by changing either the solvent or analyte gas flow rate, the HC1 monitor has an extended operating range of six orders of magnitude (ppb lower limit, percentage upper limit). the practical lower detection limit for the HC1 monitor is estimated to be 50 ppbv. Precision is good with typical relative average deviations of about three parts per hundred. Although the HC1 monitoring method was originally designed for the analysis of gasification process streams, the system can be adapted for use with a variety of process gas streams.

E.s.r. spectroscopic study on the chemistry of coal oxidation

A better understanding of the mechanisms of pre-oxidation could lead to improved methods for prevention of coal weathering, which has a deleterious influence on liquid yield during pyrolysis. Previous Morgantown Energy Technology Center studies demonstrated that the extractable fractions of coal are more susceptible to oxidative weathering than the residue. To better understand the chemistry of coal weathering and the influence of pre-oxidation on subsequent devolatilization, in situ electron spin resonance (e.s.r.) spectroscopic studies were performed on coal, weathered coal and on the corresponding untreated and preoxidized fractions (extract and residue). In this technique, pyrolysis is performed in an e.s.r. cavity and the concentration of free radicals is followed as the sample is pyrolysed. Elemental analysis of the pre-oxidized and untreated samples indicated that H C ratio of the extract and the coal sample was reduced slightly during 48 h of oxidation at 150 °C in air whereas the H C ratio of the residue was essentially unchanged. The influence of pre-oxidation (48 h at 150 °C) was to increase the e.s.r. spin concentration of the weathered coal slightly compared to the raw coal when devolatilized at 460 °C. The e.s.r. experiments performed at 460 °C also showed that pre-oxidation significantly enhanced free radical concentration in the extract but had a lesser effect on the residue. The enhanced free radical formation of the pre-oxidized extract relative to the untreated extract implies that mild pre-oxidation affects hydrogen-rich components (extract) more than the primarily hydrogen-poor components (residue) of coal.

Economic Evaluation of a CO2 EOR Flood at the Rock Creek Field, Roane County, West Virginia

Summary The U.S. DOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center and the Pennzoil E&amp;P Co. predicted the recovery and economic potential of a full-field, CO2 miscible EOR flood at the Rock Creek field, Roane County, WV. Data used in this evaluation were obtained from two miscible CO2 Rock Creek field tests: (1) a pilot test consisting of two contiguous normal five-spot patterns, each containing 10 acres [4 ha], and (2) a 1.55-acre [0.63-ha] normal four-spot minitest. Core data from the eight injection wells and three observation wells were used to determine reservoir input parameters, and fluid samples were analyzed to obtain fluid properties. A predictive model was used to calculate oil recovery and project economics. The model’s base-case run showed that an oil price of $39/bbl [$245/m3] was required to produce a 15% discounted cash flow rate of return (DCF ROR). A sensitivity study was then conducted on operating parameters [i.e., pattern size, water-alternating-gas (WAG) ratio, total HCPV of WAG injected, and injection rate] and economic parameters (e.g., oil price and CO2 cost) to determine their effect on project performance and project economics.

Coal–Water Slurry Operation in an EMD Diesel Engine

The U.S. Department of Energy, Morgantown Energy Technology Center has assumed a leadership role in the development of coal-burning diesel engines. The motivation for this work is obvious when one considers the magnitude of the domestic reserves of coal and the widespread use of diesel engines. The work reported in this paper represents the preliminary engine experiments leading to the development of a coal-burning, medium-speed diesel engine. The basis of this development effort is a two-stroke, 900 rpm, 216-mm (8.5-in.) bore engine manufactured by Electro-Motive Division of General Motors Corporation. The engine, in a minimally modified form, has been operated for several hours on a slurry of 50 percent (by mass) coal in water. Engine operation was achieved in this configuration using a pilot injection of diesel fuel to ignite the main charge of slurry. A standard unit injector, slightly modified by increasing diametric clearances in the injector pump and nozzle tip, was used to inject the slurry. Under the engine operating conditions evaluated, the combustion efficiency of the coal and the NOx emissions were lower than, and the particulate emissions were higher than, corresponding diesel fuel results. These initial results, achieved without optimizing the system on the coal slurry, demonstrate the potential for utilizing coal slurry fuels.

Rock Creek Oil Field CO2, Pilot Tests, Roane County, West Virginia

This paper reports on the design and operation of two CO/sub 2/ EOR tests conducted in the Rock Creek field in Roane County, WV. The history, fluid properties, and geology of the Rock Creek field are presented first. The test area is then addressed more specifically with an evaluation of the cores and the geophysical logs of the injection, production, and observation wells. Finally, the injection history and the production response are documented. The first test was conducted in two 10-acre (4-ha), normal five-spot patterns, with 13,000 scf CO/sub 2//STB oil (2315 st m/sup 3//stock-tank m/sup 3/) injected. This test effort recovered 13,078 STB (2079 stock-tank m/sup 3/) of oil (3% of the original oil in place (OOIP)) but was terminated after 3 years before all oil capable of being mobilized was recovered. About 15% of an HCPV was injected. The first test was followed by a second, smaller test that, given the same amount of CO/sub 2/ to be purchased, would result in an increase in HCPV's of CO/sub 2/ injected and a greater potential for oil recovery. The second test was conducted in a 1.55-acre (0.63-ha), normal four-spot pattern contained within the original test pattern. This test lastedmore » 2 years, with 9,000 scf CO/sub 2//STB oil (1603 std m/sup 3//stock-tank m/sup 3/) injected. Recovery from this test was 3,821 STB (607 stock-tank m/sup 3/) of oil (11% of the OOIP). About 48% of an HCPV was injected. It appears that CO/sub 2/ miscible flooding is technically successful in Appalachian reservoirs.« less

Case Study of Gas Migration in the Wasatch and Mesaverde Formations of the Piceance Basin, Colorado

Summary The U.S. DOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) conducted a reservoir simulation study and an engineering analysis on gas migration for two tight lenticular sandstone units, the Wasatch formation and the Mesaverde group, in Garfield County, CO. The study quantified potential gas loss through migration from the Naval Oil Shale Reserve (NOSR) No. 3 (Fig. 1) to nearby producing wells located in the Rulison field and forecasted production for proposed NOSR No. 3 offset wells located at previously selected sites, offsetting commercial wells outside the reserve. After the reservoirs were characterized, production was forecasted by use of a reservoir simulator to history match actual production. A dual-porosity reservoir simulator, developed specifically for naturally fractured gas-producing reservoirs, and reservoir engineering calculations were used in the study. The study followed two extensive DOE field testing programs, a nearby multiwell experiment (MWX), and a special Mesaverde test well (1XM9) drilled in NOSR No. 3 (see Figs. 1 and 2). These DOE field tests provided geologic information and values for reservoir parameters that control production from this unconventional gas resource. In addition to the results from the two field experiments, the study used a detailed geologic analysis and production data from nearby industry wells to characterize the producing formations.

Characterization of a Lignite Ash from the METC Gasifier III. Correlations of Leaching Behavior and Mineralogy

AbstractLignite gasification ash from the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) gasifier was subiected to two short-term leaching treatments. The cnncentrations of regulated elements in the EPA EP procedure leachate from the bulk METC ash did not exceed the “EP Trigger Limits.” A modification of this procedure that uses a basic synthetic groundwater instead of the acid EP extractant was also performed on the bulk ash and its eleven size fractions. Water equilibria modeling was used to explain the concentrations of major elements in solution. Corcentrations of minor and trace elements in solution after leaching with synthetic groundwater were also below “EP Trigger Limits.”

Characterization of a Lignite Ash from the Metc Gasifier I. Mineralogy

AbstractUtilization or disposal of gasification ash requires detailed characterization of its chemistry and phase formation (mineralogy). A North Dakota lignite ash produced in the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) gasifier has been studied in detail by x-ray diffraction and electron microprobe analysis. The ash was coarse (84% of grains larger than 1.0 mm) but a typical grain was composed of a dozen or more crystalline phases with dimensions on the micrometer scale as well as less abundant glass phases. Hard centimeter-size clinkers suggested partial melting followed by crystallization. Silicates (dicalcium silicates (C2S), merwinite, Ca-Na-silicate (CNS), quartz), aluminosilicates (melilite, nepheline, carnegieite), oxides (ferrite spinels, periclase, hematite), calcite and minor zeolites comprised the dominant mineralogy. Microprobe analyses were obtained for large numbers of grains of the C2S phases, CNS, merwinite, melilite, ferrite spinels and calcite. The remaining phases had crystal sizes too small for analysis. A model is proposed for the genesis of this ash based on the inorganic constituents of lignite and the gasifier operating conditions.

Characterization of a Lignite Ash from the Metc Gasifier II. Scanning Electron Microscopy

AbstractLignite coal ash produced in a stirred, fixed-bed gasifier at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) has been studied by scanning electron microscopy using both morphologic and chemical analyses. Detailed chemical analyses of phases, grains, and traverses across grains illustrate the heterogeneous nature of the ash. These data support the concept that most of the ash was formed by partial melting and subsequent crystallization and agglomeration.

Geology of the Devonian black shales of the Appalachian Basin

Black shales of Devonian age in the Appalachian Basin are a unique rock sequence. The high content of organic matter, which imparts the characteristic lithology, has for years attracted considerable interest in the shales as a possible source of energy. The recent energy shortage prompted the U.S. Department of Energy through the Eastern Gas Shales Project of the Morgantown Energy Technology Center to underwrite a research program to determine the geologic, geochemical, and structural characteristics of the Devonian black shales in order to enhance the recovery of gas from the shales. Geologic studies by Federal and State agencies and academic institutions produced a regional stratigraphic network that correlates the 15 ft black shale sequence in Tennessee with 3000 ft of interbedded black and gray shales in central New York. These studies correlate the classic Devonian black shale sequence in New York with the Ohio Shale of Ohio and Kentucky and the Chattanooga Shale of Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. Biostratigraphic and lithostratigraphic markers in conjunction with gamma-ray logs facilitated long-range correlations within the Appalachian Basin. Basinwide correlations, including the subsurface rocks, provided a basis for determining the areal distribution and thickness of the important black shale units. The organic carbon content of the dark shales generally increases from east to west across the basin and is sufficient to qualify as a hydrocarbon source rock. Significant structural features that involve the black shale and their hydrocarbon potential are the Rome trough, Kentucky River and Irvine-Paint Creek fault zone, and regional decollements and ramp zones.

Lockhopper Valve Testing and Development

As advanced processes are used commercially for converting coal to other forms of energy, reliable valves will be required for operating in lockhopper service at pressures to 1200 psig (8.3 MPa) and temperatures to 1600°F (870°C). The Department of Energy’s Lockhopper Valve Testing and Development Project, being conducted at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), is cooperating with lockhopper valve manufacturers and users to improve the state-of-the-art capability of commercially available lockhopper valves. The test facilities and valve testing program currently being made available to valve manufacturers at METC are described. The performance of test valves currently in the program is summarized and design considerations for solids lockhopper service are discussed.

A Single CO2 Injection Well Minitest in a Low-Permeability Carbonate Reservoir

Summary A CO2 minitest was conducted in a high-oil-saturation, low-permeability, carbonate reservoir. Incremental oil production exceeded 4,100 bbl (652 m ) as a result of the injection of 1,500 tons (1360 M ) of CO2. Few problems were encountered in planning and conducting, this field test. Introduction The U.S. DOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center has studied eastern U.S. oil reservoirs for many years. The goal of these studies has been the more complete recovery of oil through the application of secondary and enhanced oil recovery (EOR) methods. This test was one of a series of CO2 injection projects conducted by or in cooperation with the U.S. DOE (formerly U.S. ERDA) in West Virginia. The Hilly Upland oil field in north-central West Virginia was selected for this study because it presented a unique opportunity to investigate the effects of CO2 injection in a primary recovery reservoir with naturally flowing wells. The objectives of the project wereto determine the feasibility of injecting CO2 into a low-permeability reservoir,to increase oil recovery, andto obtain first-hand field experience with the CO2 displacement process, problems, etc. The information and experience trained should be of value in the design of future EOR projects using CO2 as the displacing medium. This work was conducted in cooperation with the Allegheny Land and Mineral Co. (AL and M) in Clarksburg, WV, which owns and operates the leases and which, as prime contractor, performed most of the field work. History Although one very old, depleted oil well was located at the extreme western edge of the productive area, the field actually was discovered in 1963 when Rhodes No. 1. Permit No. LEW-1103D, was drilled on an adjacent property east of the project area. The first Hilly Upland well was drilled on AL and M leases in 1968. The project area, approximately 10 acres (40 500 m), is defined as that part of the field including Wells A-359, A-361, A-390, and the injection well, Al- 1 (Fig. 1). The old well (unnumbered) and Wells A-527 and A-389 also were monitored, but no evidence of the effects of CO2 injection was found in them. Among the wells in the project area, initial flowing production of individual wells after stimulation ranged from 5 to 22 STB/D (0.8 to 3.5 stock-tank m /d). Peak field production of 6,100 STB (970 stock-tank m ) was reached in 1970. The field production rate had declined to 3 STB/D (0.5 stock-tank m /d) per well when CO2 injection was started in Sept. 1976. Cumulative production from the project area at that time was 28,500 STB (4530 stock-tank M ). No form of artificial lift had been used in the field up to that time. One additional well (A-527) was drilled and cored in Feb. 1975 north of the project area into the gas cap and was completed as a gas well. This well's cumulative oil production was less than 10 bbl (1.6 m). The test area had the advantages of relatively new wells, and the reservoir had high oil saturations. A permeability pinchout adjacent to the test area helped contain the injected fluids. The reservoir is less than 2,000 ft (610 m) deep, so well drilling and operations were relatively inexpensive. The reservoir was, however, relatively complex. There were fractures present, and these were characterized through extensive studies. Geology The Hilly Upland oil reservoir occurs in the Greenbrier limestone formation of middle Mississippian age. JPT P. 1781^

Techniques To Determine Natural and Induced Fracture Relationships in Devonian Shale

Summary Extensive study of natural fractures in oriented core, well logs, induced fracture orientation, lineaments, and Seisviewer TM surveys resulted in a log-core correlation of subsurface fracture systems and established a relationship between surface and subsurface directional aspects of Devonian shale. Core and well log analysis techniques discussed have the potential to identify the major producing intervals in Devonian shale. Introduction The primary objectives of the U.S. DOE's Eastern Gas Shales Project (EGSP) are to characterize the nature of the reservoir, determine how gas can be extracted in a cost-effective manner, and reduce the uncertainty of the resource base. The unconventional reservoirs in Devonian shale are considered potentially the most productive underdeveloped source of natural gas in the northeastern U.S.. Field data indicate that gas is produced from Devonian shales mainly as a function of the presence and density of natural fractures. Although the detection of a fracture system does not guarantee commercial production, it increases that probability. In support of this effort, a series of joint industry/U.S. DOE research projects was designed to investigate and study the nature, orientation, and density of natural fractures in Devonian shales. Within several project areas in the Appalachian basin. holes were drilled, cored, and logged (Table 1). This paper deals with the detailed correlation of the natural fractures determined from these cores and geophysical well logs to determine the validity and reliability of logging tools to locate fractured internals in Devonian shales. In the latter part of the paper, correlation of natural and hydraulically induced fracture orientations, along with surface photolineaments traces, are discussed for a specific project area. Background The Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) is responsible for the management and technical direction of the U.S. DOE research and development activities related to the unconventional gas recovery (UGR) program. As part of the UGR program, the EGSP was formulated in 1975 to determine the resource potential of Devonian shale that underlies the Appalachian, Illinois, and Michigan basins. Within the EGSP. resource characterization activities including drilling, coring. and logging of Devonian shale wells are complete. This paper addresses primarily the coring and logging activities related to the identification of fractures, Correlation of natural fracture density and orientation as derived from well logs and oriented formation cores may aid in defining and identifying gas reservoirs and improving prospects of commercial gas production from shales. The objective of coring various Devonian shale intervals is to provide chemical and physical characterization of the cored formations. Formation characteristics studied include mechanical rock properties, geochemistry, and natural fracture incidence and orientation. Two types of fractures are detected in Devonian shales: existing natural fractures and fractures that occur as a result of stresses produced by the core extraction process. A classification scheme for identifying and defining the coring-induced and natural fractures has been developed. Kulander et al. defined such terms as hackle, petal, and torsion to classify coring-induced fractures. JPT P. 1371^

Field Results From a Linked Vertical Well UCG Test in Deep, Thin-Seam Bituminous Coal

For a first in the United States, a 900-ft (275-m) deep, 6-ft (2-m) thick, swelling, eastern bituminous coal has been gasified successfully in situ. Under the direction of Morgantown Energy Technology Center, the relatively small-scale field test, Pricetown I, affected the equivalent of approximately 735 tons (665 t) of a high-sulfur, high-ash section of the Pittsburgh coal seam near Pricetown, Wetzel County, West Virginia, during the 4-mo burn. A methane rich gas with an average heating value greater than 200 Btu/cf (7450 KJ/m3) was produced at low flow rates during operations to enhance the coal seam permeability by reverse combustion. During the high-flow gasification phase, a gas with an average heating value of 124 Btu/cf (4260 KJ/m3) was produced resulting in an average energy production of 510.9 MMBtu/day (539.1 GJ/d). Initial test results and plans for continued development of this alternative energy source are discussed.