Methane production
Following a request from KARBONIA Pl Sp. z o.o. in Kaczyce and following an agreement between KARBONIA Pl Sp. z o.o. and the State Treasury dated 27.10.1999 that granted the right to coal bed methane, the Environment Ministry , having taken into consideration the opinion of communities of Hażlach and Zebrzydowice, has issued a license No. 5/2000/Ł dated 28th January 2000 to KARBONIA PL Sp. z o.o. This license grants exploration and mining rights to methane deposits located in coal bearing strata within mining district „Kaczyce I”, an area of 12.99 km2 located in the counties of Hażlach and Zebrzydowice, Slaskie Voivodship.
Methane from abandoned underground workings of closed „Morcinek” mine is currently extracted by the borehole Kaczyce 1/01. This well, drilled to the depth of 680 m, has commenced production in August 2001. Free methane, desorbed from the underground coal bearing strata, by its natural buoyancy reaches the surface, via purposely drilled borehole. The extracted methane, from 2004 until summer of 2008, was delivered via 225 mm diameter, 2480 m long pipeline to the border with the Czech Republic. The methane was then delivered to the end customer Green Gas DPB a.s. located in Paskov, Czech Republic via pipeline system operated by Green Gas DPB.
Currently, the extracted methane is used only for heating purposes in the head office of NWR KARBONIA Sp. z o.o., some methane is also delivered to other customers in the area.
The license no. 5/2000/ Ł has been granted for 23 years: 3 years for exploration phase and 20 years for operational phase.