Falkirk Herald: DART INQUIRY: ‘Extraordinarily small’ methane threat to water

The public inquiry into Dart Energy’s proposals to extract coal bed methane from seams 3600 feet below the Airth countryside has been told the chances of gas escaping from the wells and reaching the surface are “extraordinarily small.”

On day three of the inquiry before Scottish Government reporters, hydrogeologist Richard Graham said the gas released from the coal seams reached via a horizontal well would be “sucked” to a vertical well and reach the surface that way.

Sir Crispin Agnew who is representing Concerned Communities of Falkirk who are fighting Dart’s plans to establish 22 commercial coal bed methane production wells at Letham Moss said there was a concern that methane could get into the water course as a result of the decompressing of the coal seams to release the methane and the ‘dewatering’ process that follows.

Mr Graham said: “The hydrostatic pressure would force any methane back into the coal seam where it would be re-absorbed. Any amount would be extraordinarily small”  HERE