Biogenic Methane Cycling in a Laboratory Model of an Abandoned Bituminous Coal Mine

Microbial communities in decommissioned coal mines have the potential to promote methane generation. Here, two 1 m x 10 cm diameter column bioreactors designed to mimic an abandoned coal mine were monitored for a year, with zones of methanogenesis in the bottom, saturated waters and aerobic coal degradation and methane oxidation at the top. The resilience of aerobic methanotrophs to survive periods with low methane and oxygen conditions suggests methanotrophs may be useful in decreasing atmospheric methane fugitive emissions from decommissioned mines. When biogenic methane production from coal did occur, the rate was slow, ≤ 0.073 nmol CH₄/g coal/day.