CHINCHILLA PILOT BURN PROJECT
Linc Energy was granted an Exploration Permit for Coal at Chinchilla, Queensland - Australia in December 1998 and commenced work on site in July 1999. Gas was first produced on Boxing Day of the same year. After more than two years of producing gas, Linc was able to prove complete control of the process and environmental stability.
The success of this operation, places it above all other similar developments around the world.
"The process of UCG appears to be technically feasible with no technical barriers being identified at this stage. With a high availability of product gas over two years, the Chinchilla UCG trial is the longest and largest gasification trial in the Western world." Shedden Uhde's technical report, November 2005.
"The Chinchilla UCG project, has demonstrated that the UCG process can be operated without uncontrolled impacts on groundwater.", Golder Associates' environmental report, December 2005.
"The UCG operation in Chinchilla is by far the largest and the longest ever in the Western world. The process displayed high efficiency and consistency in providing gas of stable quality and quantity, and the cost of the UCG gas produced proved to be comparable (on a per unit of energy basis) with the very low cost of thermal coal in the Australian market,", Golder Associates' environmental report, December 2005.
Why is Linc Energy's Chinchilla UCG facility recognised as the most successful ever in the Western world?
- 35,000 tonnes of coal gasified at Chinchilla - more than in any other UCG trial. Within the Rocky Mountain 1 trial - considered the most successful UCG trial in the United States - only 10,000 tonnes were gasified.
- 80 million Nm3 of gas produced at 4.5 - 5.7 MJ/m3
- A maximum capacity of 80,000Nm3/hr or 675 tonnes of coal per day was reached at the Chinchilla plant. In comparison, the Rocky Mountain 1 trial achieved a maximum gasification rate of 200 tonnes of coal per day.
- The Chinchilla trial proved availability of gas production over 30 months - by far the longest ever recorded outside the ex-USSR.
- 95% recovery of coal resource
- 75% of total energy recovery
- 9 injection / production wells
- 19 monitoring wells
- Average depth of 140m
- High quality and consistency of syngas
- No groundwater contamination registered
- No subsidence has occurred
- No surface contamination detected
- No environmental issues have been identified to date during the controlled shutdown process
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