MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The National Energy Technology Laboratory
in Morgantown is backing a project to help Virginia Tech
researchers and Consol Energy study the prospect of storing
carbon dioxide in thinner, less-valuable coal seams.
Pennsylvania-based Consol will try to sequester as much as
20,000 tons of the greenhouse gas that is believed to contribute
to global warming. Vice president of research Steve Winberg said
Consol is donating three coalbed methane wells near Buchanan,
Va., for the pilot project. The State Journal said the yearlong
experiment is set to begin this fall. Michael Karmis, of
Virginia Tech's Center for Coal and Energy Research, said teams
will test the ability to inject CO2 and whether it can help
recover coalbed methane. They expect the CO2 to be absorbed and
say it might stimulate methane release.