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Mining industry

Surface-Observation-Constrained High-Frequency Coal Mine Methane Emissions in Shanxi, China, Reveal More Emissions than Inventories

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A new study from the China University of Mining and Technology has revealed significantly higher methane emissions from coal mines in Shanxi, China, compared to previously reported inventories. The research, published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, utilized a 15-day surface observation campaign to compute and attribute methane emissions from two coal mines in the region. The results showed that the two mines emitted 6860 ± 3520 and 1010 ± 347 kg/h, respectively, with fat-tailed distributions.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study focused on Changzhi, Shanxi, China, a city with one of the highest atmospheric concentrations of methane in the world, primarily due to coal mining and production.
  • The research used a 15-day surface observation campaign to drive a new analytical method to compute and attribute methane emissions.
  • Observations made in concentric circles around two coal mines yielded emissions of 0.73, 0.28, and 0.15 ppm min-1 at 1, 3, and 5 km, respectively.
  • The attribution model identified the known mine's emissions as 0.042-5.3 ppm min-1 and a previously unidentified mine's emission as 0.22-7.9 ppm min-1.
  • The results demonstrated the importance of simultaneously quantifying spatial and temporal distribution of methane emissions to control regional-scale emissions.
  • The study found that the coal mines emitted significantly higher methane emissions than equivalent oil and gas operations in the USA, with one mine emitting about double and the other similar to day-to-day emissions inverted over 5 years.

Statistics:

  • The two coal mines emitted 6860 ± 3520 and 1010 ± 347 kg/h, respectively.
  • The 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile values of coal mine emissions were 1600, 3070, and 10 500 kg/h for one mine and 755, 1090, and 1420 kg/h for the other mine.
  • The results were compared to TROPOMI satellite inversion data for the same region, showing higher methane emissions from coal mines.
  • The study found that methane emissions from coal mines in Shanxi, China, were more than double the emissions from equivalent oil and gas operations in the USA.

Sources:

  • Surface-observation-constrained high-frequency coal mine methane emissions in Shanxi, China, reveal more emissions than inventories, consistent with satellite inversion. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2025,25():5837-5856.
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-5837-2025
  • Publisher: Copernicus Publications
  • Journal: Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
  • URL: http://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/
  • Authors: F. Lu, K. Qin, J. B. Cohen, Q. He, P. Tiwari, W. Hu, C. Ye, Y. Shan, Q. Xu, S. Wang, Q. Tu
  • Institute: Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Coal-Based Greenhouse Gas Control and Utilization, School of Environment and Spatial Informatics, China University of Mining and Technology

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