Coalbed Methane (CBM) is the natural gas that is generated and stored within coal seams. To produce the natural gas, water is drawn out of the coal seam, creating a pressure change that allows the natural gas to flow. Unlike conventional natural gas, CBM operations produce large amounts of water, which must be managed appropriately. When geology allows, the excess water is safely reinjected into neighboring formations.
Our Approach to Water Management
In a Wyoming field, where reinjection was not possible, Anadarko engineers created a unique environmentally beneficial and cost-effective solution that conserves water and exemplifies our innovative approach to problem solving. We constructed a 48-mile pipeline that transports water produced from our CBM operations to our enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations, where it is stored in underground aquifers for potential future use.
CBM Areas
Our primary CBM areas include operations in the Powder River Basin and Atlantic Rim area of Wyoming, and the Helper and Clawson fields in Utah. Anadarko operates approximately 4,000 low-cost CBM wells and has an interest in approximately 4,500 non-operated CBM wells in the Rockies.
View Anadarko's quarterly operations report and investor presentations to learn more about our most recent CBM activity in the Rocky Mountains.
Powder River Basin
- 738,000 net acres
- 3,000+ identified lower-risk drill sites