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Coal Bed Methane: Photos

Protecting our water, farms and ranches, and communities from irresponsible coal bed methane development

Methane Photos

Coal bed methane development on the ground

Photos of coal bed methane development in Montana and Wyoming's Powder River Basin. Taken by Roger and Ray Muggli of Miles City in June 2002. Click on each image to see the full-sized photo.

	Unlined coal bed methane discharge impoundment in Wyoming. Though industry and Wyoming officials claim methane wastewater impoundments do not leak, photos show otherwise.
	Coal bed methane discharge impoundment in Wyoming. Discharging into unlined impoundments is the cheapest way to dispose of coal bed methane wastewater.
	Leaking coal bed methane impoundment in Wyoming. Though often suitable for drinking, methane wastewater is toxic to plants and crops because of high sodium levels.
	Leaking coal bed methane impoundment in Wyoming. Permits are not required to discharge methane wastewater into unlined impoundments.
	Leaking coal bed methane impoundment in Wyoming. Water leaking from unlined impoundments can seep into rivers and streams, harming irrigation water.
	Double coal bed methane discharge impoundments in Wyoming. In addition to leaking poor quality coal bed methane wastewater, methane impoundments can hold back rain and snowmelt - the good water downstream farmers and ranchers rely on for irrigation.
	Aerial view of a coal bed methane field in Wyoming. Along with wells come drill pads, access roads, containment ponds, and compressor stations.
	Coal bed methane discharge impoundments in Wyoming. Methane development in Montana will produce at least 480 billion gallons of water. 80% - or 385 billion gallons will be wasted.
	Coal bed methane discharge impoundment under construction. An average coal bed methane well pumps 2.5 gallons of water per minute over 20 years.
	"On channel" coal bed methane discharge impoundments in Wyoming. Coal bed methane operators are not required to acquire water rights for the water they withdraw from aquifers and divert to impoundments.
	Aerial view of coal bed methane development. The Bureau of Land Management predicts that 1.4 million acres of wildlife habitat will be impacted by intensive methane development in Montana.
	Aerial view of coal bed methane development. Development in Montana will require constructing 9,000 to 27,000 miles of roads, and 27,917 to 83,727 miles of pipelines and utility corridors.
	Aerial view of coal bed methane development. Montana's plan for methane development will not require transportation corridors, though doing so would reduce surface impacts by 35 to 40%.
	Aerial view of coal bed methane development. The state and federal government's plan for methane development in Montana does not offer any measures to address impacts to wildlife.
	Coal bed methane field in Wyoming. 60% of proposed methane drilling in Montana will occur on private surface land where the federal government holds the mineral rights. This is called "split estate." These landowners have no say in whether methane drilling happens on their land.
	Coal bed methane field in Wyoming. Landowners with federal methane minerals under their land will suffer the impacts of development without reaping financial benefits.
	Coal bed methane field in Wyoming. The Bureau of Land Management leased over half a million acres of federal methane in Montana without notifying the private surface owners. For as little as $2 and $3 per acre, methane companies have leased the right to enter a farmer or rancher's land, build roads, drill wells, and otherwise develop methane - without the landowner's permission.
	"On-channel" coal bed methane impoundments. According to the state of Montana, 24% of methane discharges in Montana will reach rivers and streams by seeping from unlined impoundments or through direct discharges.
	Coal bed methane impoundment in Wyoming. The drainages that capture methane discharges in Wyoming flow north into Montana.
	Coal bed methane well pad on Prairie Dog Creek in Wyoming. Up to 51,000 wells are predicted in Wyoming, and up to 26,000 in Montana in the next 20 years.

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Coal Bed Methane: Photos

Coal bed methane development on the ground