Richest Belgian Albert Frère Sees Money in Coal Gas

Transcor Astra, a company in the group of Albert Frère –reputed to be Belgium's richest citizen– is negotiating with the Walloon region government to obtain two licenses to explore the potential of coal gas exploitation in an area of about 443 km² the Hainaut province.

It is a continuation of the work, initiated in 2009 by the Australian company European Gas Limited (EGL), with Frère's financial support. However, several Walloon experts are thinking the amount of coal gas in the former Walloon coal mines is limited.

The first license is concerning the region south of Charleroi, Belgium's fourth largest city. The other licenses application involves old subterranean gas storage depots in Péronnes and Anderlues. The realization of the Péronnes project is very uncertain, as large areas in the former mines nowadays are filled with water. But in Anderlues, Transcor Astra expects to find 10 mln m³ methane gas, with limited investments. An academic research report composed at Mons University in 2008 is more optimistic and estimates between Mons and Binche 50 mln m³ methane gas can be exploited… every square kilometer.

The composition of the groupe Frère is very complex, oftening changing and behaves very discretely. A few years ago, Frère obtained a 9%-participation in EGL, with Fitzroy River Corporation Ltd., an ASX listed public company, holding 25.5%.  Frère/Transcor Astra also took over from the Australians, Gazonor SA, which already is exploiting yearly about 80 mln m³ gas in former coal mines in France. Geologically, the northern French coal basin is a continuation of the Hainaut basins.

By Koen Mortelmans