China is eager to address one of the primary culprits behind its alarming coal mining fatalities, as evidenced by the Pre-Mining Degasification Symposium held in South Chinas Guizhou province on March 31st and April 1st. Sponsored by the provinces Coal Mines Administration Bureau and the Coal Mine Safety Inspection and Supervision Bureau, coal mining executives gathered in Guiyang, a modest-sized city (by Chinas standards) of more than three million people, to discuss how the latest foreign technologies could help degasify Chinas 2,000 coal mines, both improving mine safety and reducing Chinas global output of air pollution. More than 80 representatives from 40 coal mines attended in Chinas second largest coal-producing province to find out about the latest foreign technology transfers, which might help reduce coal mining deaths.
Over the centuries as organic matter is converted to coal, methane, also known as CH4 and the primary constituent in natural gas, is produced during this process and stored in pockets within a coal seam. For every ton of coal produced, during the coalification process, more than 5000 cubic feet of methane is created. Coal mining releases this...