REI has gained significant experience in the performance of CBM resource assessments, including geological and geophysical analyses, and the design and implementation of coring and field-testing programs to characterize the reservoir.  Projects include carbonaceous shale and coal plays in conjunction with mining companies and gas developers.

Through its long-term contract with the US EPA Coalbed Methane Program, and contracts with the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations, and the Global Environmental Facility, World Bank, US Department of Labor, and private project developers, REI has performed numerous domestic and international feasibility assessments for methane drainage (pre-mining and gob gas), and methane use alternatives, including power generation, gas enrichment, gas conversion, flaring, and thermal oxidation. Assessments involve resource evaluation, reservoir characterization, evaluation of current methane drainage recovery and use practices, source of emissions investigations, reservoir modeling and history matching of existing borehole gas production data, reservoir modeling to derive recommended methane drainage borehole plans and forecasts, specification of a drilling approach and methane drainage program, including economic and market analyses.  REI provides its mining clients with complete gas drainage solutions, from assessment and engineering design, through implementation, and commercialization project development. 

In order to improve global methane drainage techniques and encourage the utilization of gas presently being vented and emitted into the atmosphere from coal mines, REI works with US and global funding vehicles to transfer its expertise overseas. REI was awarded contracts by the United Nations for improving degasification practices in China, and in India. These projects were multi-faceted and included methane drainage assessments, system design, equipment specification, procurement, implementation, and training for improving: (i) underground and surface degasification methods, system efficiencies, and methane drainage costs, and (ii) efficient and economic use of the produced gas.   REI was also awarded a US Department of Labor funded technology transfer project in the Ukraine for design and specification of underground directional drills, and training and implementation of directionally drilled horizontal gob gas drainage systems.

Through State funding and internal investments, REI has developed stimulation techniques which enhance and accelerate gas production from in-seam boreholes, especially for low permeability coal seams, and which can also be used to for material softening to reduce mining induced stresses during exploitation.  REI has also developed innovative technology to drill underground-initiated horizontal gob gas extraction boreholes for improved gas recovery. This technique has been demonstrated to be very effective compared to standard gob gas extraction methods (e.g., overlying galleries and cross-measure boreholes that are used internationally).  These are enhanced gas recovery techniques for underground mines to reduce gas drainage times and improve the efficiency of gob gas recovery.