West Virginia coal has been significantly depleted, alternatives are available

Opinion Editorial by C. Blaine Cecil, Charleston Gazette Mail, April 15, 2017

Over the past couple of years, I have followed claims about the restoration of the coal industry in the Appalachian region. As a native West Virginian and someone who still has a strong allegiance to the state, I feel compelled to offer a different perspective on the future of coal.

I am a retired geologist who has invested most of my professional career to the study of coal geology in Appalachia. These studies included, but were not limited to, geologic controls on the origin of coal and coal-bearing strata; geological and chemical characteristics of coal that effect coal cleaning; and mineral and chemical characteristics of coal and coal-bearing strata that effect mine drainage water quality. These, and other studies, were always related to coal resources (the amount of coal in the ground) and coal reserves (the amount of mineable coal).

As a result of those studies, it became evident many years ago that the amount of coal resources and reserves are finite; reserves will not last forever.

As far back as the mid-1970s, a coal company executive who was responsible for coal exploration in Southern West Virginia told me that mineable coal was getting “dirtier and deeper (and thinner)” meaning that the best coal reserves had already been mined. Since that time, newer mining technologies (such as mountaintop surface mining) have continued to deplete coal reserves. As a result of reserve depletion, it is highly unlikely that coal mining (and jobs) can be restored in a significant and sustainable manner; recovery of remaining reserves will be increasingly difficult and expensive, thereby resulting in a steady and rapid decline in coal production and associated jobs.

Much of the remaining coal resources occur in beds that are thin, discontinuous, often deeply buried and uneconomical to mine, and that will never be included in reserve calculations. If these resources are ever to be recovered, it will most likely be through underground (in situ) gasification rather than conventional mining methods.

Unless some unknown factors intervene, coal production and mining jobs in Appalachia are unlikely to recover because of the following:

>>Reserve depletion. Coal reserves are nearly depleted; increases in coal production will only accelerate reserve depletion and hasten the end of a significant coal mining industry in Appalachia. This is particularly true of southern West Virginia.

>> Electricity demand. The demand for electricity from coal-fired power plants has slowed because many major industrial consumers (e.g., steel, aluminum, and chemical manufacturing) have closed most of their plants in the United States, giving rise to the “rust belt.” The demise of these industries can also be attributed, by in large, to resource/reserve depletion of raw materials.

>> Natural gas replacement. Coal is being replaced by natural gas in the generation of electricity because recently discovered natural gas is now abundant, relatively inexpensive to produce, cleaner to burn and has higher heat content than coal (on a BTU/pound basis). Natural gas-fired power plants are also cheaper to build and operate than coal-fired power plants.

>> Energy transportation. Natural gas is easier, cheaper, and more energy efficient to transport (via pipelines) to power plants located near points of consumption (e.g., large metropolitan areas) relative to transportation of electricity over power lines from mine-mouth power plants to major markets. In addition, gas is cheaper and more energy efficient for home heating than electricity. Simply put, natural gas is currently a cheaper source of energy than coal.

In summary, economic recovery and sustainability in coal-producing regions in Appalachia must refocus economic development on commercially viable activities other than coal production. The nearly total collapse of the coal industry in Great Britain and Germany in the latter part of the 20th century is a stark reminder that coal reserves become depleted.

Readers who wish to further explore the future of coal mining in Appalachia may consult resource and reserve data that are available online from both federal and state agencies.

>>> C. Blaine Cecil, of Rockbridge Baths, Virginia, originally from Moundsville, was an adjunct professor of geology at WVU, a research associate at the Smithsonian Institution and a research geologist emeritus for the U.S. Geologic Survey.

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See also: Longview Power Files Prepackaged Chapter 11 To Facilitate Ownership Change, City Biz, Wash., DC, April 14, 2020

Longview Power LLC has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under a prepackaged reorganization plan as a result of substantially lessened demand for electricity due to long term power-pricing pressure caused by cheap natural gas, an unseasonably warm winter, and the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting economic impact, which collectively have severely depressed power prices. The Company will continue to operate in the ordinary course as it quickly restructures its balance sheet.

Storage Hub has excess environmental impacts

“Pipeline-Plus” is a collection of tools/applications to allow the user the ability to search and gather information that WVGES has available about oil & gas wells in West Virginia. The following tools/applications are available within the system.

Oil & Gas Well Data Search: (Detailed Help) This application allows the user to query oil & gas header records in our system through the given fields on the form. The queries include a combination of numeric, character, pull-down and checkbox searches. Once the user enters their selection criteria and hits the search button, the matching header records are then returned. Latitude and longitude coordinates for wells are provided in NAD83 datum. The system will also provide a link to “pipeline” and other system applications to provide more complete well information if the data is available. Again, more detailed help on this application can be found here.

“Pipeline“: The Survey’s “pipeline” system provides public access, through a Web browser, to oil and gas well data for more than 134,000 oil and gas wells. The data are keyed on the well’s API number, which consists of the state code, county code, and permit number for the well. Data contained within tables include: locations; completions; farm name and operator; pays and shows of hydrocarbons; monthly and annual production of gas and/or oil, generally since 1979; formation tops and thicknesses; plugging; data about mechanical logs on file in the Survey’s log library as well as access to selected scanned well log images; and data about well samples and cores in the Survey’s core library. UTM and latitude/longitude coordinates for wells are provided in NAD83 datum. Users of the “pipeline” system select the county from a menu, enter the permit number, and select the desired data type(s). The data are then displayed on the user’s computer screen.

Scan Viewer/Download: (Detailed Help) This application allows the user to search and view electronic files which WVGES has available. File types currently in the system include scanned logs (wireline logs), digitized logs, well plats, completion reports, plugging affidavit, core photographs, well sample descriptions, batch cover sheets, and well permits. Most files available are of type .tif, .jpg, .las or .pdf. Fields available for query are well API number, file type, county, batch date and file modified date. Once the user enters their selection criteria and hits the search button, the matching records are then returned. A view link will be available to view or download the file. Please note that depending on the software on your computer, viewing of a file may open in the internet browser, a different application, or you may be prompted to save the file. We advise you to save Scanned Logs (wireline logs) and not try to view them directly because of the size of the files. To save files, right-click the view link and select the save option. It may also appear as “save target as”. Again, more detailed help on this application can be found here.

Slabbed Core Photos: This is a listing of all wells for which we have slabbed core photographs. These are listed by well API number. The page provides the number of images we have for the well, which mostly appear in one foot intervals. It also provides a link to our core viewer application to see or download the photographs.

File Repositories: This is an HTTP file server that allows the user to navigate the directory structure to download or view the file(s) of interest. Currenlty we offer scanned well logs, digitized logs, slabbed core photographs, well sample descriptions, and other E-files (scanned plats and completions). We advise you to save Scanned Logs and not try to view them directly because of the size of the files. To do so, right-click the image of interest and select the save option. Then you can direct the file to a location of your choice. Please note these images vary in size and some may take several minutes to download, especially if using a 56k or slower dialup connection. Generally files are organized in county folders with some exceptions.

If you have any questions or comments about the Oil & Gas Well Information System please (E-Mail) us with your questions or comments.

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WVDEP Launches Webpage Dedicated to Helping Citizens Learn About Pipeline Projects, April 2, 2018

SOURCE: WV Department of Environmental Protection

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (April 2, 2018) – The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) has launched an easy to use webpage designed to help citizens learn more about five major proposed or under construction natural gas pipelines.

The page is available here.

The five pipelines that are the focus of the webpage are the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline, the Mountaineer Gas Company Eastern Panhandle Expansion Project, Mountaineer Xpress Pipeline, and the Rover Pipeline.

“We are making sure that anyone who has any questions about these pipelines can find those answers on one easy to use webpage,” WVDEP Cabinet Secretary Austin Caperton said. “People who live near these projects deserve to be able to find answers to their questions quickly, and WVDEP is providing this new webpage to help them do that.”

Available on the webpage is information such as detailed maps of the proposed route of pipeline routes and a link to WVDEP’s searchable online database where additional information such as any inspection and enforcement action and any permit modifications can be found. Also available are public hearing transcripts, responses to comments received at public hearings, and press releases about the pipelines. The page will be updated as more information on each pipeline becomes available. Citizens will also be able to submit reports of possible permit violations via this webpage.

Contact: Jake Glance, WV-DEP, (304) 926-0499 ext. 1335, Jacob.P.Glance@wv.gov

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See also: Appalachian Storage Hub: A Petrochem Horror

Geology in West Virginia

West Virginia, the Civil War, and Geology

President Abraham Lincoln established the Emancipation Proclamation, effective January 1^st of 1863. The emancipation applied to slaves in areas under rebellion, not areas loyal to or already controlled by the Union.  The Union had to wait for ratification of the 13th Amendment in December 1865 for emancipation and abolition of slavery.

West Virginia became a State, separate from Virginia, on June 20, 1863 during the Civil War, some 150 years ago.

Slavery was ended in Texas by the Union Army on June 19^th of 1865, known as “Juneteenth.”

The geology of the eastern United States was an important factor in West Virginia becoming a State.  It was also of critical importance in the conduct and outcome of the Civil War.

Civil War Geology

The battle of Antietam, which occurred on September 17, 1862 remains the bloodiest day in American history—23,000 men died or were wounded on that battlefield—as well as one of the most strategically significant of the Civil War. The Union victory marked a turning point and emboldened President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation a few days later.

The battlefield also offers one of the best illustrations of Civil War geology. Antietam was fought atop different types of bedrock: in one area was limestone; in another, dolomite. Over millions of years, these different bedrocks eroded into distinct terrains. The limestone area became flat and open. But because dolomite is harder than limestone, the dolomite areas eroded into less even terrain, filled with hills and ridges that provided cover for the troops.

Slavery Ended on Juneteenth

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19^th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved people were now free.