Anyone who wants to save money on gas should be interested in the Underground Coal Gasification or UCG process. It is an alternative way of obtaining clean fuels, which has been explored more recently due to rising oil prices. Considering that the process benefits everyone, it is surprising that few people have any idea what it is. Not only its advantages affect everyone, but the ideas and technology behind UCG are also fascinating. For this reason, it is important to have at least some idea of what happens underground during the coal gasification process.
Despite the lack of knowledge about UCG, the idea has been around since the late 19th century. The process taps into coal reserves deep below the earth’s surface, which is helpful since about 85 percent of the world’s coal cannot be extracted using typical surface mining methods. The UCG procedure involves drilling two holes just above where the coal is located, called a coal seam. The first well is injected with air and water, which are called oxidizers. That same pit is also used to ignite coal below the surface. Once the temperature is high enough to mix with the coal and create syngas, the second pit is used to release the coal onto the surface.
The benefits of this procedure are many, but the advantages that most people are currently interested in involve money. Although members of the public may not pay for the process directly, they will most likely pay indirectly, once the alternative gas appears at the pump. If UCG is universally accepted, the savings from this procedure will eventually trickle down to the consumer, allowing everyone to spend more money on other items they want or need, instead of gas. For this reason, it’s up to consumers to come together to change the way gas is obtained, and they can start by spreading the word about the financial benefits of UCG.
The cost of the UCG process is much less than that of typical mining procedures. Firstly, the equipment itself is cheaper, since you don’t need as many tools. Transportation costs are also reduced, since current products from traditional mining need to be transported to their destination by train. This means that train tracks must be built and maintained, and multiple trains must constantly operate to get goods where they need to go. Gas is much easier to transport as it can simply be piped to its destination. Those are just a few of the obvious financial benefits of UCG.
There are other costs associated with current practices that many people don’t even think about, that UCG could eliminate. For example, the fact that coal doesn’t need to be dug up means there are fewer labor costs associated with UCG. This also translates to zero cleaning costs. In addition, we have access to much more coal than ever before, as this process allows us to tap into underground reserves, which would be too expensive to extract and convert into energy. This capacity ensures that there will be no shortage of coal for the foreseeable future, which could keep gas prices low. Clearly, keeping coal in the ground is not only good for the environment, but also good for our wallets.
Lowering the price of energy for our cars should be paramount. Most people have probably realized by now that the phrase “you get what you pay for” isn’t always true, and this is one of those situations. As long as the gas you get keeps your car running, is cheap, and easy to get, you probably won’t lose any sleep wondering how good your gas is. The product obtained through UCG is as good as current gas, but better for our planet and much cheaper. Implementing UCG as the primary power source for our cars is the first step in helping everyone get back on their feet financially.
