Coalbed Methane Potential and Activity of the Illinois Basin

Oil & Natural Gas / Coalbed Methane / Exploration

Date posted: 08/26/09

The Illinois Basin is an elliptical intercratonic basin that covers approximately 34 million acres in Illinois, Southwestern Indiana and Western Kentucky. All coals of economic interest are found in the Pennsylvanian-aged strata in which 75 individual seams have been identified and of which 20 have been actively mined since the 1800s. The coals that have potential for gas production are found in the middle and upper Lower Pennsylvanian rocks of the Carbondale and Spoon formations. These coals vary in thickness from a few inches to over fifteen feet. The coals vary in rank from high volatile A in the southern part of the basin grading to high volatile bituminous C on the eastern, northern and western flanks.