Status of CMM Ownership and Policy
Incentives in Key Countries:
Considerations for Decision Makers
EPA Publication No:
430R19004
March 2019
oEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Global
Methane Initiative
us efv r 1
Coalbed Methane

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Status of CMM Ownership and Policy Incentives in Key Countries: Considerations for Decision Makers
Disclaimer
This report was prepared for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). This analysis uses
publicly available information in combination with information obtained through direct contact
with mine and government personnel. USEPA does not:
(a)	make any warranty or representation, expressed or implied, with respect to the
accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of the information contained in this report, or that
the use of any apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report may not infringe upon
privately owned rights;
(b)	assume any liability with respect to the use of, or damages resulting from the use of,
any information, apparatus, method, or process disclosed in this report; or
(c)	imply endorsement of any technology supplier, product, or process mentioned in this
report.
Acknowledgments
This publication was developed at the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in
support of the Global Methane Initiative. In collaboration with the Coalbed Methane Outreach
Program, this document has been updated to reflect policy changes since the original publication
date of July 2014.
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Contents
Disclaimer	i
Acknowledgments	i
Figures	iii
Tables	iii
Acronyms and Abbreviations	iv
Executive Summary	vi
1.	Background	1
2.	CMM Case Studies	2
2.1.	China	4
Ownership and Legal Status	4
Incentives and Policies	6
Further Reading	7
2.2.	Mexico	7
Ownership and Legal Status	7
Incentives and Policies	8
Further Reading	9
2.3.	Ukraine	9
Ownership and Legal Status	9
Incentives and Policies	9
Further Reading	10
2.4.	Australia	10
Ownership and Legal Status	10
Incentives and Policies	12
Further Reading	13
2.5.	Canada	13
Ownership and Legal Status	13
Incentives and Policies	15
Further Reading	16
2.6.	Germany	16
Ownership and Legal Status	16
Incentives and Policies	16
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Status of CMM Ownership and Policy Incentives in Key Countries: Considerations for Decision Makers
Further Reading	16
2.7.	Colombia	17
Ownership and Legal Status	17
Incentives and Policies	18
Further Reading	18
2.8.	Mongolia	19
Ownership and Legal Status	19
Incentives and Policies	20
Further Reading	20
2.9.	Summary of International CMM Ownership and Policies	21
3. Incentivizing CMM Capture and Utilization through Ownership and Policy Incentives ... 24
3.1.	Clear Ownership Options	24
3.2.	Policy Incentives	24
3.3.	Outreach and Education	25
References	27
Figures
1 Contribution of Top CMM Emitting Countries to Global CMM Emissions (USEPA, 2012a) 2
Tables
1	List of Potential Stakeholders for CMM Project Development	3
2	Summary of CMM Ownership and Policies in Key Countries	21
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Status of CMM Ownership and Policy Incentives in Key Countries: Considerations for Decision Makers
Acronyms and Abbreviations
A$	Australian Dollar
AMM	Abandoned Mine Methane
ANH	Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (National Hydrocarbons Agency)
(Colombia)
ANLA	Autoridad Nacional de Licencias Ambientales (National Authority for
Environmental Licenses) (Colombia)
ANM	Agencia Nacional de Minerfa (National Mining Agency) (Colombia)
C$	Canadian Dollar
CAR	Climate Action Reserve
CBM	Coalbed Methane
CCIR	Carbon Competitiveness Incentive Regulation (Nova Scotia)
CDM	Clean Development Mechanism
CER	Certified Emission Reduction
CESPEDES	Commission for Private Sector Studies for Sustainable Development
CH4	Methane
CMM	Coal Mine Methane
CMOP	Coalbed Methane Outreach Program
CNY	Chinese Yuan
CO2	Carbon Dioxide
CChe	Carbon Dioxide-Equivalent
EITI	Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative
EMC	Ejercicio de Mercado de Carbono (Carbon Market Exercise) (Mexico)
EPCs	Emission Performance Credits (Alberta, Canada)
ETS	Emissions Trading Scheme
GGAP	Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program (Australia)
GHG	Greenhouse Gas
GMI	Global Methane Initiative
ICE-CMM	International Centre of Excellence on Coal Mine Methane
IPCC	Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
kWh	Kilowatt Hour
LRBs	Land and Resource Bureaus (China)
M	Meter
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Status of CMM Ownership and Policy Incentives in Key Countries: Considerations for Decision Makers
m2	Square Meters
m3	Cubic Meters
MADS	Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (Ministry of Environment
and Sustainable Development) (Colombia)
MEM	Ministry of Energy and Mines (British Columbia, Canada)
MERCP	Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act (Queensland,
Australia)
MLR	Ministry of Land and Resources (China)
MMA	Mines and Minerals Act (Alberta, Canada)
MME	Ministerio de Minas y Energfa (Ministry of Mines and Energy) (Colombia)
MOE	Ministry of Energy (Mongolia)
MOM	Ministry of Mining (Mongolia)
MRA	Mineral Resources Authority (Mongolia)
MtCChe	Metric Tonnes of Carbon Dioxide-Equivalent
MW	Megawatt
MWh	Megawatt Hour
N/A	Not Applicable
NDC	National Determined Contribution (Mongolia)
NDRC	National Development and Reform Commission
NEA	National Energy Administration (China)
NSW	New South Wales (Australia)
OGC	Oil and Gas Commission (British Columbia, Canada)
PEMEX	Petroleos Mexicanos (Mexico State-Owned Petroleum Company)
RESA	Renewable Energy Sources Act of 2004 (Germany)
SEMARNAT Secretarfa de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Secretariat of
Environment and Natural Resources) (Mexico)
SENER	Secretarfa de Energfa (Secretariat of Energy) (Mexico)
SGER	Specified Gas Emitters Regulation (Nova Scotia)
SinoPec	China Petro-Chemical Corporation
SOE	State-owned Enterprise (China)
Tonne	Metric Ton
UNECE	United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
US$	United States Dollar
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Status of CMM Ownership and Policy Incentives in Key Countries: Considerations for Decision Makers
vcs
VAT
VAM
USEPA
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Ventilation Air Methane
Value-Added Tax
Verified Carbon Standard
Executive Summary
The Global Methane Initiative (GMI) was launched in 2004 as a voluntary, multilateral partnership
that aims to reduce global methane (CH4) emissions from five major CH4 sources, including coal
mines. GMI works to advance the abatement, recovery, and use of CH4 as a valuable clean energy
source by creating an international network of partner governments, private sector members,
development banks, universities, and nongovernmental organizations. This network aims to build
capacity, develop strategies and markets, and remove barriers to project development for CH4
reduction in Partner countries. A number of countries are currently facing decisions related to
legislation and regulation of coal mine methane (CMM) recovery and utilization, from ownership
of gas resources to providing policy options such as financial incentives. On behalf of GMI, the
United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has prepared this document, which
presents cases studies from the following key coal producing countries: China, Mexico, Ukraine,
Australia, Canada, Germany, Colombia, and Mongolia.
Ill-defined gas property rights and lack of clarity on obtaining ownership of the CMM/CBM1 in
many countries serve as obstacles to the development of gas utilization projects (USEPA, 2009c).
Mineral resources, including CMM, may be national government-owned, as in China, Ukraine,
Colombia, and Mongolia; state/provincially-owned as in Australia; or have a combination of
national and private ownership such as in Canada, Mexico, and Germany. A number of other
stakeholders are involved in CMM project development, in addition to the national and state
entities responsible for leasing minerals and collecting royalties, such as:
•	Ministries of energy, petroleum, and land management
•	Energy regulators
•	Departments of natural resources
•	Ministries or agencies of environment and environmental protection
•	Electric utilities
•	Utilities commissions, utility regulatory commissions, public utilities commissions, or
public service commissions
As CMM projects require coal mine cooperation and are often initiated by coal companies, the
most straightforward ownership solution is to give coal mines first priority for CMM exploration
and development, as in Ukraine and Germany. Another step to further encourage CMM
1 Coalbed methane (CBM) refers to Cm that is found in coal seams. It is formed during the process of coalification,
the transformation of plant material into coal. Coalbed methane is also known as virgin coal seam methane or coal
seam gas. It is widely considered an "unconventional" source of natural gas.
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utilization is to solicit coal mining areas as potential CBM concessions should the coal mine
decline to explore for and/or develop the resource after a given time period.
Resource ownership is only one factor that determines successful implementation of CMM
projects, and countries have developed additional policy incentives (Roshchanka et al., 2017).
Several financial policies, such as royalty relief, feed-in tariffs, carbon markets, and tax incentives,
have been successful, while conflicting and unclear policies can make CMM projects uneconomic.
This paper explores policies, regulations, and financial incentives used to prevent ownership
conflicts, mitigate perceived legal barriers for project developers, and incentivize CMM utilization
in these selected countries. While not covered in case studies in this paper, renewable portfolio
standards that are expanded to alternative sources, such as CMM, are also effective in promoting
CMM-based power.
An important consideration in developing policies is to ensure that safety regulations take
precedence and that unsafe activities are discouraged. Policies requiring CMM capture and use,
particularly over a given concentration (e.g., 30 percent CH4), may encourage operators to
maintain gas concentrations below 30 percent by dilution, which can be unsafe.
When mine gas drainage is undertaken before the coal extraction process begins, the collection
systems are not likely to be disturbed by ground movement, and, if feasible, relatively high
purities of gas can usually be produced. Concentrations of 60 percent CH4 and higher should be
achievable from pre-drainage methods, thus producing gas well outside of the explosive range
(UNECE, 2010). Incentives such as royalty relief for pre-drained gas could be administered to
encourage this method of degasification over other methods. Royalty relief can be successful as
an incentive by encouraging the drainage of gas prior to mining. In Colombia, the royalty paid to
the national government for unconventional gas, which includes CBM, is reduced by 40 percent.
Feed-in tariffs can promote CMM projects through higher prices for alternative electricity on the
electricity market. Feed-in tariffs such as China's subsidies for CMM utilization and CBM/CMM-
fueled power generation provide grid access for CMM-based electricity and make CMM projects
more economic. Tax exemptions may provide an incentive to develop CMM projects. China
provides exemption from value-added tax on CMM project equipment.
Working with such a wide variety of policies and stakeholders can also present a challenge for
coal mines and CMM project developers. For this reason, it could be beneficial to create
additional institutional support for the CMM sector. Examples of such institutional support are
CMM clearinghouses and information centers in such countries as China, India, and Russia. Many
organizations such as the GMI, the International Energy Agency, the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe, and the USEPA have been actively participating in the dissemination of
information on CMM recovery and utilization through technical information sessions,
development of documents and tools, and participation in international events (USEPA, 2009c).
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1. Background
Methane (CH4) is a greenhouse gas (GHG) 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide (CO2).2 Unlike
other GHGs, CH4 is the primary component of natural gas and can be converted to usable energy.
The reduction of CH4 emissions from coal mines therefore serves as a cost-effective method to
reduce GHGs, increase energy security, enhance economic growth, improve air quality, and
improve worker safety. Worldwide CH4 emissions from coal mines were estimated to be nearly
630 million metric tons (tonnes) of CCh-equivalent (MtCChe) in 2015 and are projected to
increase to 671 MtC02e by 2020 (USEPA, 2012a).
A number of countries are facing decisions related to legislation and regulation of CMM3 recovery
and utilization, from ownership of gas resources to providing royalty relief for produced energy.
Several key coal producing countries have existing laws and policies that provide incentives for
CMM recovery and utilization and mitigate ownership conflicts.
Section 2 of this document includes international case studies that describe the ownership
approaches and legal treatment of CMM, as well as CMM incentives and policies in China,
Mexico, Ukraine, Australia, Canada, Germany, Colombia, and Mongolia. As Figure 1 shows, China,
Ukraine, and Australia contribute significantly to global CMM emissions and are expected to
continue this trend based on current coal production projections (USEPA, 2012a). These and
other key countries were also selected because they showcase a variety of legislative and policy
approaches for facilitating CMM projects. This document does not provide a comprehensive
review of policies in each showcased country, and a list of further reading options is provided,
including references for the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the Global
Methane Initiative (GMI), and other documents.
Section 3 describes options for ownership and leasing approaches, as well as policies and
regulations, including financial incentives, to encourage capture and utilization of CMM.
2	2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4). Chapter 2: Changes in
atmospheric constituents and in radiative forcing, Table 2.14, Global warming potential for 100-year time horizon,
p. 212. http://www.ipcc.ch/pdf/assessment-report/ar4/wgl/ar4-wgl-chapter2.pdf.
3	Coal mine methane (CMM) refers to Cm released from the coal and surrounding rock strata due to mining activities.
In underground mines, it can create an explosive hazard to coal miners, so it is removed through ventilation and in
some cases, drainage systems. In abandoned mines and surface mines, Cm might also escape to the atmosphere
through natural fissures or other diffuse sources. CMM refers specifically to the Cm found within mining areas
(e.g., within a mining plan), while coalbed methane (CBM) generally refers to Cm in virgin coal seams that have
never been mined, and that have no mining plans.
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Status of CMM Ownership and Policy Incentives in Key Countries: Considerations for Decision Makers
Country Contribution to Global CH4 Emissions
from Mining Activities
Sum of all others
North Korea
India
¦	Kazakhstan
¦	Australia
¦	Ukraine
¦	Russia
¦	China
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Figure 1: Contribution of Top CMM Emitting Countries to Global CMM Emissions (USEPA,
2012a)
2. CMM Case Studies
In the following case studies, we first describe the ownership and legal status of CMM, and then
discuss policies and regulations that affect CMM project development. Mineral resources,
including CMM, may be owned by national governments, as in China, Ukraine, Colombia, and
Mongolia; state/provincially-owned as in Australia; or federally- and privately-owned such as in
Canada, Mexico, and Germany. Administration of mineral resources may also take place at the
national or state/provincial level, as in Canada where mineral resources are 90 percent federally-
owned, but laws and leases are administered at the provincial level. These primary owners
typically lease the mineral resources to lessees. In some countries, a lease can be referred to as
a "license"; however, in other countries a "license" can mean a permit to explore and develop
the resource. Throughout the case studies, we have attempted to clarify the meaning of these
terms, while remaining true to the source documents.
Many stakeholders can be involved in administering these CH4 resources, which, in and of itself,
can create a challenge for CMM project developers and implementers. Error! Reference source
not found, lists the potential stakeholders involved in CMM project development in addition to
the national and state entities or ministries responsible for leasing minerals and collecting
royalties.
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Table 1: List of Potential Stakeholders for CMM Project Development
Entity
Level of Government
Role
Ministries of energy,
petroleum, land
management, etc.
National or
state/provincial
Leasing of national or state/province-
owned mineral resources, reclamation
requirements
Energy regulators
National or
state/provincial
Permitting and inspection of natural
gas pipelines and electricity
infrastructure
Departments of
natural resources
National,
state/provincial, or
municipal
Drilling requirements and permitting,
reclamation requirements, production
reporting, inspection of mines and oil
& gas operations
Departments of
wildlife
National or
state/provincial
Assess impact of project activities on
wildlife
Ministries or agencies
of environment or
environmental
protection
National,
state/provincial, or
municipal
Air and water quality rules and
permitting, environmental impact
analysis rules and evaluation,
hazardous material regulations,
reclamation requirements, carbon
regulation/commitments/inventory
Electric utilities
National,
state/provincial,
municipal, or private
Facilitating grid access for produced
electricity, purchasing electricity
Utilities commissions,
utility regulatory
commissions, public
utilities commissions,
or public service
commissions
National,
state/provincial, or
municipal
Regulates rates and services of public
utilities
Mine safety ministries
or administrations
National or
state/provincial
Enforce compliance with mine safety
and health standards, including CH4
concentration in air and approval of
ventilation plans, inspections
Other occupational
safety
administrations
National or
state/provincial
Enforce occupational safety
requirements, perform inspections
Parks or historic site
departments
National,
state/provincial, or
municipal
Ensure preservation of historical sites
and artifacts
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Entity
Level of Government
Role
Private surface land
owners
Private (not applicable,
N/A)
Granting access to land
Private mineral rights
owners
Private (N/A)
Leasing mineral rights
Coal mines
National,
state/provincial, or
private
Project development, access to
facilities/land, coordination of drilling
activities
Existing gas lessees
Private (N/A)
Negotiate royalties, project
collaboration, coordination of drilling
activities
Environmental
groups
Private (N/A)
Evaluation of leasing and adherence to
regulations, public awareness of
environmental issues
Carbon registries and
carbon markets
National,
state/provincial, or
private
Market for trading of carbon emission
allowances and credits
Geologic survey
agencies
National or
state/provincial
Survey and classify land, conduct
resource assessments
With numerous stakeholders involved in CMM projects, it is important to segregate authority in
promulgating regulations to avoid conflict. From a project development standpoint, it is essential
to recognize that acquiring ownership of the CMM resource is only one facet of an extensive
process from idea to execution; and other considerations, such as safety standards,
environmental regulations, and incentive structures must be considered when implementing a
CMM project.
2.1. China
Ownership and Legal Status
China's mineral resources are owned by the Central Government. China's Mineral Resources Law
was passed in 1986 and did not list CBM independently as a mineral resource until it was
amended in 1996, clarifying that CBM is one of China's 34 mineral resources. China's laws
generally do not differentiate between CBM and CMM in legal terms. Exploration and mining of
CBM is registered in the same manner as conventional oil and gas.4
4 Since 1998, three centrally-controlled state-owned enterprises (SOEs) - China United Coalbed Methane Co., Ltd.;
China National Petroleum Corporation; and China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation - registered for licenses to
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As a result of government restructuring in the late 1970s, all coal exploration and mining activities
must be approved by the Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) or by provincial Land and
Resources Bureaus (LRBs). Large coal mines in excess of 100 million tonnes of reserves must
obtain licenses through the MLR; however, smaller mines may obtain permission from provincial
LRBs. At the same time, the Central Government did not transfer management power to the local
levels for the oil and gas sector, and thus, oil and gas activities, including CMM and CBM projects,
must be registered through the MLR.
Because coal mine licensure is awarded for many mines at the local level, while CBM licensure is
obtained from the top-level administration of the MLR, significant overlap occurs between coal
and CBM licenses. By the end of 2007, 86 out of the total of 98 CBM mining licenses overlapped
with 1,406 coal mining licenses, covering an area of 12,534 km2. This has resulted in significant
conflict, such as a case in Jincheng, Shanxi Province, where in 2003 a CBM licensee filed a
complaint with the MLR against a coal licensee regarding its CH4 recovery in the area. As a result,
the State Council issued the "Opinions on Speeding up CBM Extraction and Utilization" (State
Council General Office [2006] No. 47), which stipulates that with new exploratory licenses, CBM
and coal resources must be prospected, evaluated, and their reserves must be determined. If the
density of gas per ton in the coalbed surpasses that of the regulated standard and is suitable for
development, a CBM and coal development plan must be composed, and coal production activity
is not allowed without a CMM drainage system (IEA, 2009; Lin, 2011). The policy also states that
coal mines must implement CMM measurement and monitoring activities.
Additionally, the MLR issued a notice that overlapping licenses are to be managed through
negotiation as per the April 2007 "Notice on Strengthening Coal and CBM Comprehensive
Prospecting and Mining Management" (MLR [2006] 96) (Lin, 2011). This notice also provided
methods to address overlapping mining rights of coal and CBM/CMM:
Coal mining licensees should apply for a CBM license if they drain CBM by means
of surface drainage within its mining area; but no CBM draining license is required
for recovery of the underground gas (CMM).
In cases of overlapping coal and CBM licenses, the coal and CBM licensees should
negotiate a cooperation or production agreement based on the principle "CBM
drainage first, coal mining secondthus, conducting comprehensive prospecting
and mining of coal and CBM. If both parties fail to reach an agreement, the MLR
will conduct mediation. If both parties agree to mediation, one party will make
compensations to the other for its investment in the resource. If mediation fails,
the land and natural resources bureau will act in accordance with 'the principle of
integrated gas drainage and coal mining, supporting the comprehensive
prospecting and mining of CBM resources by the coal production enterprises in the
project area' (Lin, 2011).
exploration rights of approximately 65,000 square meters (m2) of CBM blocks, comprising more than half of the
total CBM blocks, while other SOEs, such as China Petro-Chemical Corporation (SinoPec), registered for smaller
shares (Lin, 2011).
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Incentives and Policies
The Chinese government has traditionally outlined CMM policy incentives in the Five-Year Plans
compiled by the National Energy Administration (NEA).The Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2006-2010)
included price management for CMM transported through city pipelines; gave priority to CMM-
generated electricity on the grid with a subsidized price; and provided for financial subsidies for
onsite, residential, and chemical feedstock use (Franklin, 2010).
The Twelfth Five-Year Plan for the first time explicitly included CBM. The plan called for CMM to
be used primarily as a local fuel, with the number of residential users to approximately double to
about 3.3 million households between 2010 and 2015, power generation capacity to quadruple
to 2,850 megawatt (MW) as overall CMM utilization was projected to rise by about 5.5 billion
cubic meters (m3), and consumption projected to increase to 20 billion m3 by 2015 (USEPA, 2015).
The plan also called for total CMM output of 30 billion m3 by 2015, comprising 16 billion m3 from
CBM and 14 billion m3 from CMM (Huang, 2012; USEPA, 2015). In 2015, CBM production only
totaled 4.37 billion m3, but CMM drainage increased to 13.56 billion m3, up 11.36 billion m3 from
2005 (Huang etal., 2016).
The Thirteenth Five-Year Plan, issued on February 14, 2016, increased the Central Government's
subsidy for CMM utilization from 0.2 Chinese Yuan (CNY)/m3 to 0.3 CNY/m3 (Wenge, 2015), and
continues to provide a 0.25 yuan/kilowatt hour (kWh) subsidy for CBM/CMM-fueled power
generation, which is the same subsidy offered for biomass power generation. Between 2007 and
2012, the Central Government awarded subsidies of 1.839 billion CNY to support CBM/CMM
development, which accounted for 9.195 billion m3 (Huang, 2012). At the province level, Shanxi
and Shaanxi Provinces provide additional provincial funding of 0.1 CNY/m3, and Hunan Province
provides 0.15 CNY/m3 for CMM recovered and 0.2 CNY/m3 for CMM used (Wenge, 2015).
These incentives were further supported through the Guideline on Further Accelerating the
CBM/CMM Exploitation and Utilization issued by the State Council of the People's Republic of
China in September 2013, No. 93. Developers have been offered increased fiscal funding
subsidies, strengthened tax policy support, favorable market pricing mechanisms for CMM and
pricing policies for CMM power pool purchases, strengthened organization leadership and
management of CMM recovery and utilization, and the promotion of scientific and technological
innovation (Wenge, 2015; Huang et al., 2016). As established by previous policies, developers are
still exempt from the prospecting and licensing fee on CBM development, and no royalties are
levied on CBM through 2020. Value-added tax (VAT) collected from coal mines recovering and
utilizing CBM/CMM is returned to the coal mining companies, and no income tax is paid by
enterprises developing technologies for CMM recovery and utilization. Import-related taxes and
VAT are also exempted for CMM exploration, and development operations and equipment. Coal
mine owners or developers investing capital in CMM projects through loans or self-equity
financing can claim 40 percent of the capital value to offset income taxes (IEA, 2009; Huang,
2012).
In July 2017, a joint directive from 13 Chinese government agencies specified that the share of
natural gas in total energy consumption should rise from six percent in 2015, to 10 percent by
2020, and to 15 percent by 2030. The directive also provided specific plans to achieve this goal.
The primary mechanism to achieve this goal will be through an ambitious commitment to
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displace coal with natural gas. Continued average annual growth of roughly 16 percent, as seen
between 2000 and 2013, will be necessary to reach the initial 10 percent target of 2020
(Vanderklippe, 2017).
As a Non-Annex I party to the Kyoto Protocol, China previously dominated the CMM sector of the
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), hosting 84 registered CMM projects (UNFCCC, 2018). In
July 2010, the special economic zone of Shenzen; the municipality of Chongqing; the cities of
Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin; and the provinces of Guangdong and Hubei were named the sites
of China's first low-carbon program by the National Development and Reform Commission
(NDRC). The foundation of the China Emissions Exchange followed, and the first pilot carbon
trading program was launched in Shenzen in June 2013 (China Daily, 2013). In September 2017,
an International Centre of Excellence on Coal Mine Methane (ICE-CMM) was opened in Tian Jin,
China, to support capacity building (see Section 3.3). In December 2017, China launched its
national emissions trading scheme (ETS) for the power sector, under the oversight of the NDRC.
Further Readi
The following links provide additional information:
Energy Markets in China and the Outlook for CMM Project Development in Anhui, Chongqing,
Henan, Inner Mongolia, and Guizhou Provinces:
https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-
03/documents/2014 coalchinaenergymarket fullreport.pdf
Coal Mine Methane in China: A Budding Asset with the Potential to Bloom (International Energy
Agency):
http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/china cmm report.pdf
China GMI Country Profile:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview ch7.pdf
2,2. Mexico
Ownership and Legal Status
Article 27 of Mexico's Constitution of 1917 provides that all natural resources, including
hydrocarbons, are the property of the nation. The Mining Law regulates Article 27 and Article 4
of the Law states, "The mineral coal in all its varieties and the gas associated with the deposits of
this one" as "minerals or substances, which constitute deposits in veins, strata, masses or beds,
different from the components of land" (Mexico Mining Law, 2006). Petroleos Mexicanos
(PEMEX), the state-owned petroleum company, has historically held exclusive authority over
exploration, recovery, processing, and sales of oil and gas including CMM and CBM. The
regulatory law emanating from Article 27 of the Constitution meant that coal mines could not
legally sell CMM or use it to generate heat or electricity onsite, since exploration, production,
processing, and sales of all hydrocarbons were the exclusive province of PEMEX.
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Following a CH4-related explosion at the Pasta De Conchos Mine in February 2006, Mexico's
Congress and Senate amended the Mining Law, allowing coal mines to recover and use CBM and
CMM from their operations for self-consumption or even their sale, though exclusively to PEMEX
through a binding contract (Wallace, 2009; Kelafant, 2011). In 2011, the Ministry of Energy
(SENER) submitted amendments to the law that add requirements for obtaining CBM permits.
These amendments state that applications by mining concessionaires for a permit for CBM
production must include a description of the scope of the project and the facilities for extraction,
measurement, and use of CBM; as well as a specification of the intended use of the CH4 (i.e., self-
consumption, delivery to PEMEX, or both). The amendments also provide that in the case of
projects for gas to be delivered to PEMEX, the ministry may refuse to issue a permit on certain
grounds (e.g., where it considers that the project is not feasible, or the project infrastructure is
inadequate to comply with the technical and qualitative conditions required at the point of
delivery; Lopez-Velarde and Almaraz, 2011).
Incentives and Policies
In support of the General Climate Change Law of 2012, the Mexican Congress passed a bill that
levies a carbon tax on fossil fuel use. The Mexico Carbon Tax is meant to help Mexico meet its
target of cutting GHG emissions by 30 percent by 2020 and 50 percent by 2050, and to promote
the use of cleaner fuels. The bill requires companies to pay approximately United States dollar
(US$)3.5 per tonne of CO2 they emit, with prices adjusted annually by inflation. Defined by rules
established by the Secretariat of Finance, companies can also surrender an equivalent amount of
internationally recognized Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) from emissions reductions
projects hosted in Mexico (Garcia, 2017). Modifications to the Carbon Tax during its passage
through Congress were made to exclude natural gas from the tax, because it is a relatively "clean"
fossil fuel. At this time, CMM is not included in the tax scheme, and it does not change the
assessment of tax on coal deposits despite the amount of methane emitted by the mine (Munoz-
Pina, 2015).
In November 2013, Mexico launched a voluntary carbon credit exchange, MEXICO2, which
provides a platform for companies to obtain carbon credits through carbon emission reduction
projects certified using internationally recognized methodologies and protocols, such as CDM,
the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), the Gold Standard, Plan Vivo, and the Climate Action Reserve
(CAR). The program is operated by the Mexican Stock Exchange, and currently supports a
7.95 megawatt hour (MWh) energy-generating CMM project registered from CH4 captured at
two coal mines in the Sabinas basin and one in the Saltillito basin, using the CDM methodology
(MEXICO2, 2017).
In November 2016, Mexico launched the Carbon Market Exercise, or the Ejercicio de Mercado de
Carbono (EMC), which is a carbon market simulation to familiarize the Mexican Government and
emissions-generating companies with the workings of a carbon market. A public-private working
group, comprising the Secretarfa de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT) and the
Commission for Private Sector Studies for Sustainable Development (CESPEDES), has been
established to develop the National ETS regulations. Together, SEMARNAT and CESPEDES
committed to establish ETS regulations by mid-2018 (Escalona and Pereyra, 2017).
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Further Readi
The following link provides additional information:
Mexico GMI Country Profile:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview ch21.pdf
2 ratine
Ownership and Legal Status
The State Classifier of Minerals defined CMM as a separate resource in 2007. CMM falls into the
category of mineral resources owned and regulated at the national level (USEPA, 2009c). The
government can issue exploration and production permits for up to 50 years. In 2012, the Central
Government operated 71 percent of Ukraine's mines (110 out of 155), with the remaining mines
being privately held (Yashchenko, 2013). At the same, production from private mines accounted
for 71 percent of the total coal production. In 2016, Ukraine lost control of much of the Donbas
coal basin due to an armed conflict, and only 49 mines operated on the territory that is controlled
by the Ukrainian government (Yashchenko, 2017). As a result, Ukraine's coal production fell from
over 80 million tonnes/year before 2014 to 31.6 million tonnes/year in 2016 (Yashchenko, 2017).
Ukraine's coal mines are also among the most dangerous in term of CH4 emissions and risk of
explosions. Because average mining depth reaches 730 meters (m; Plachkova, 2010), CH4
concentrations could reach 40 m3 per tonne of dry ash-free coal (Naftogaz, 2013). Over
75 percent of underground coal in Ukraine is produced in gassy mines.
In 2009, Ukraine's Parliament adopted the Law on Gas (CH4) from coal beds. The law provides
that the government can issue CMM leases along with new coal mining leases to mine operators.
Existing mines are required to obtain permits for CMM exploration and production. The law also
allows coal mines to sell their rights to CMM, but does not require it (Evans, 2009; Maciw et al.,
2009; USEPA, 2009b). In addition, the law specifies that CMM owners can sell their gas into the
natural gas transmission system if the gas meets quality requirements (USEPA, 2009a). The law
prohibits both the production of CH4-rich coal without degasification measures for reducing the
CH4 concentration to the adopted standards, and the development of new underground coal
mines without degasification of CH4-bearing coal strata.
Incentives and Policies
The Law on Gas (CH4) from Coal Beds, adopted in 2009, also established that between 2010 and
2020, profits from the production and use of CMM are not subject to taxation (Verkhovna Rada,
2009).
In 2012, the Ukrainian Parliament modified the tax code so that unconventional gas production,
including CBM, became subject to the subsoil use tax. In 2016, rent payments for the production
of hydrocarbons above and below 5,000 m were set at a level of 14 percent and 29 percent,
respectively, from the average market price for gas and oil (Verkhovna Rada, 2016). However,
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only CBM is subject to taxation; CMM from degasification systems is exempted from taxation
regardless of its quality (Verkhovna Rada, 2016).
The Ukrainian government has also taken steps to make the coal and gas industries more
transparent. In 2013, Ukraine joined the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and
its 2014-2015 and 2016 reports contain data on coal production, the number of active coal mines,
and the number of issued special licenses for subsoil use. The government also adopted sale
auctions as a tool for distributing five-year special permits for subsoil use. The first auction for
the geological exploration of the Novosvitlivska and Seleznivska areas for CMM extraction in the
Luhansk region was announced in 2013 (Geonews, 2013). The auction for these projects,
however, was cancelled in July 2014 due to hostilities in eastern Ukraine.
On April 13, 2017, the Ukrainian Parliament passed the Law on the Electricity Market that does
not include CMM as an alternative energy source eligible for special incentives (Verkhovna Rada,
2017). The status of many CMM projects implemented in the Donbas coal basin before 2014 is
unknown due to the lack of information from territories that are not currently under the control
of the Ukrainian government.
Further Reading
The following links provide additional information:
Developments in Ukraine and "Best Practices" for Regulatory Policies:
https://www.globalmethane.org/expo-docs/indialO/postexpo/coal evans.pdf
Coal Mine Methane Activities in Ukraine:
http://epa.gov/cmop/docs/cmm conference sept09/16evans.pdf
State Policy of Ukraine in Capturing and Utilizing Coal Mine Methane (Ministry of Energy and Coal
Industry of Ukraine):
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/energy/se/pp/coal/cmm/8cmm nov2013/7 Ukraine e.
pdf
Ukraine GMI Country Profile:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview ch34.pdf
stralia
Ownership and Legal Status
In Australia, resources are administered by state and territory governments. State governments
own all on-shore resources within their jurisdiction and lease these out to exploration and mining
companies under mineral/coal and petroleum/gas exploration leases. Arrangements vary
between each state but essentially petroleum/gas lease holders have ownership of CBM, except
where coal mine operators extract CH4 as part of their coal mining operations (CMM). Various
regulatory and procedural arrangements are in place to address overlapping petroleum and coal
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leases (Karas, 2006). CMM projects are primarily in Queensland and New South Wales (NSW)
(GMI, 2013).
Queensland
In November 2002, the Queensland government released a new regulatory regime to address
issues that arise when CBM and coal exploration and production activities occur under different
tenures granted over the same area. To formalize the measures, a new Petroleum and Gas
(Production and Safety) Act was passed in 2004 to replace the Petroleum Act of 1923.
Subsequently, the Mineral Resources Act of 1989 has been amended to clarify a number of issues,
including management of coal and gas resources. In Queensland, a mining lease for coal provides
some rights to CMM; however, generally CMM production is administered under the Petroleum
and Gas (Production and Safety) Act of 2004 and requires a production license that can co-exist
with a mining lease covering the same area (GMI, 2011).
The Mineral Resources Act of 1989 provides that coal mine lease holders may extract, produce,
release, or dispose of CMM if it is: 1) a necessary result of coal mining, 2) necessary to ensure a
safe mine working environment, or 3) necessary to minimize the fugitive emission of CH4 during
the course of coal mining operations. The coal mining lessee may only use the gas for beneficial
uses related to mining such as power generation for onsite use or for heating. The CMM may not
be sold, processed, used to generate power for sales, or be transported outside of the area of
the mining lease. If a coal mining lessee wishes to utilize CMM for a non-mining purpose such as
sales, the coal mine lessee may apply for a petroleum lease under the Petroleum and Gas
(Production and Safety) Act of 2004, provided that the mining area does not overlap with an
existing petroleum lease (Qld Mineral Resources Act of 1989, Div 8, C18CM, C18CN). If the coal
mine lease holder does not wish to use CMM for their own purposes and the mining area overlaps
with a petroleum lease, the mine may give the petroleum lease holder written notice that CMM
is available. The petroleum lease holder then has 20 business days to accept in writing. The term
"give" connotes that no payment will be received. If the petroleum lease holder does not want
the gas, the mining lease holder may then flare or vent it, provided the situation meets certain
requirements.
The Mineral Resources Act places restrictions on flaring and venting of CMM. Flaring CMM is
prohibited if it is commercially or technically feasible to use CMM for the aforementioned
beneficial mining purposes under the mining lease, or feasible to use for another purpose under
a petroleum lease that the miner might be able to obtain. Venting CMM is authorized if it is not
safe or technically practicable to use the gas for mining or to flare it. Venting CMM is also allowed
if the CMM is being used under a GHG abatement scheme5 under certain conditions (Qld Mineral
Resources Act of 1989, Part 8, Div 1, 318CO).
Despite the new regulatory regime of the Petroleum and Gas (Production and Safety) Act and the
amendments to the Mineral Resources Act, Queensland has replaced the state's five resource-
specific Acts with the single Mineral and Energy Resources (Common Provisions) Act (MERCP) of
5 A GHG abatement scheme means (1) the Electricity Supply Act 1995 (NSW), part 8A; (2) the Commonwealth's
Greenhouse Gas Abatement Program; or (3) another scheme about the abatement of GHGs prescribed under a
regulation.
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2014. MERCP includes measures to consolidate provisions common to each of the Resource Acts,
a means of common processes for the resource authorities, and a way to manage overlapping
coal and petroleum resource authorities for coal seam gas; and provides assistance to achieving
the purposes of each of the Resource Acts (Queensland Parliament, 2014).
New South Wales
The Mining Act of 1992 is the principal legislation governing mineral exploration in NSW. The
Mining Act holds that a coal lessee may apply for the inclusion of petroleum or gas in the mining
lease. The application may be refused if the land is subject to a petroleum exploration license or
a petroleum mining lease under NSW's petroleum legislation, the Petroleum (Onshore) Act of
1991 (NSW Mining Act of 1992, Part 5, Div 4, Section 78). The Mining Act stipulates that royalties
are to be paid on the petroleum recovered by the holder of a coal mining lease who successfully
applies for the inclusion of petroleum in their mining lease (NSW Mining Act of 1992, Part 14, Div
3, Section 286). The now-repealed Coal Mines Regulation Act of 1982 formerly allowed a miner
to extract CH4 from the coal seam for purposes associated with mining coal (Breaden and
Alexander, 2002); however, the succeeding Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 2002 and the Coal
Mine Health and Safety Regulation of 2006 are silent on this. Both the Mining Act of 1992 and
the Petroleum (Onshore) Act of 1991 specify that royalties payable on petroleum recovered from
a coal mining lease do not apply to CH4 recovered in conjunction with coal mining operations,
indicating that CMM is exempt from royalties in NSW while CBM is leased through the Petroleum
Act and subject to royalty payments (NSW Petroleum [Onshore] Act of 1991, Part 7, Section 85;
NSW Mining Act of 1992, Part 14, Div 3, Section 286).
Incentives and Policies
The Australian Government supports GHG emissions reductions, has committed to a five
percent reduction below 2000 levels, and has recently proposed an additional reduction
between 26 and 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The Government has established an
Australian dollar (A$)2.55 billion Emissions Reduction Fund through the Direct Action Plan,
which seeks to efficiently and effectively source emissions reductions, where emissions
reductions are purchased by the Government as they are generated. The Greenhouse Gas
Abatement Programme (GGAP) was an Australian Government initiative to reduce Australia's
net GHG emissions by supporting emissions reduction project opportunities during the period
of the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012). GGAP targeted large-scale, cost-effective, and sustainable
projects across Australia's economy. GGAP prioritized projects that delivered emissions
reductions exceeding 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (C02e) annually, and actively
supported the development of CMM projects through the direct funding of four electric power
projects for over A$43 million (M2M, 2005).
CMM emissions reduction projects that destroy CH4 through the use of flares, electricity
production devices, or flameless oxidation devices such as ventilation air methane (VAM)
oxidation devices, qualify through the Carbon Credits (Carbon Farming Initiative - Coal Mine
Waste Gas) Methodology Determination 2015, passed in February 2015; and the Carbon Credits
(Carbon Farming Initiative - Coal Mine Waste Gas) Methodology Variation 2016, passed in
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November 2016. Currently, an update of Australia's GMI Partner Country Action Plan and Coal
Sector Action Plan is in progress (Guo, 2015).
In August 2012, the Australian Government and the European Commission announced their
intention to linktheir emissions trading schemes. An interim one-way link was scheduled to start
by July 1, 2015, under which Australian liable entities can surrender European Union allowances
for compliance with their Australian carbon price liabilities. This was to be followed by a full two-
way link by July 1, 2018 (Australian Government, 2013) but never did.
Further Readi
The following links provide additional information:
Financial and Regulatory Incentives for U.S. Coal Mine Methane Recovery Projects (page 14):
http://www.epa.gov/cmop/docs/cmm-financial-regulatory-incentives.pdf
Australian Coal Sector Update to the 22nd Session of the GMI Coal Subcommittee:
http://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/energy/se/pp/coal/cmm/10cmm gmi.cs.oct2015/2 AU
STRALIA.Update.pdf
Australian Government Emissions Reduction Fund: http://www.environment.gov.au/climate-
change/emissions-reduction-fund
Policies and Programs to Address Fugitive Emissions from Coal Mining in Australia (Australian
Government, Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism):
https://www.globalmethane.org/expo-docs/canadal3/coal 01 Murphy.pdf
GMI Australia Country Profile:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview ch2.pdf
2 tiacia
Ownership and Legal Status
In Canada, surface rights and mineral rights came with the purchase of land until the early 1900s.
Since then, mineral rights have been government-owned and cannot be purchased, only leased,
by individuals or companies. As a result, the mineral rights on more than 90 percent of Canada's
land are currently owned by the national government (Crown-owned).
As in Australia, Canadian resources are administered by provincial governments. There are no
CMM projects in Canada; however, CBM activity has commenced in Alberta, British Columbia,
and Nova Scotia; and coal deposits containing gas exist in Saskatchewan as well. In all three active
provinces, CBM is managed through petroleum leasing.
Alberta.
In Alberta, all mineral and petroleum leases are administered through the Mines and Minerals
Act (MMA) (Government of Alberta, 2000, Chapter M-17).
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In 1991, the Alberta Energy Utilities Board and the Alberta Department of Energy published IL-
91-11, a joint Information letter on CBM. The IL-91-11 sets forth the position that CBM is a form
of natural gas and that under the MMA natural gas and coal are treated as distinct substances
and are leased separately. Natural gas may exist in a variety of reservoir rocks, including coal
seams. In 2003, the Government of Alberta amended the MMA to specifically address CBM
beneath government-owned lands (Crown lands). Section 67(1) added to the MMA, stating, a
"coal lease grants the right to the coal that is the property of the Crown in the location in
accordance with the terms and conditions of the lease but subject to subsection (2), does not
grant any rights to natural gas, including CBM." Ownership issues between coal and natural gas
interests persisted on privately-owned or "freehold" lands. The Government of Alberta passed
Bill 26 into law on December 2, 2010. Bill 26 added section 10.1 to the MMA and states that CBM
"is hereby declared to be and at all times to have been natural gas" (Salmon and Wong, 2011).
Section 67(2) does, however, stipulate that:
The Minister, on the recommendation of the Alberta Energy Regulator that it is
necessary to do so for safety or conservation reasons, may authorize the lessee of
a coal lease to recover natural gas, including coalbed methane, contained in a coal
seam in the location of the coal lease (Revised Statutes of Alberta 2000, Chapter
M-17, Section 67(2)).
British Columbia
In 2003, British Columbia enacted the Coalbed Gas Act, which stipulates that CBM is natural gas
owned by the party who holds the natural gas rights (Woodside, 2011; BC Coalbed Gas Act, 2003).
British Columbia's Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) issued an information letter, Titles 05-
02: Managing Co-existing Coal and Petroleum and Natural Gas Rights, which outlines the policy
for reducing conflicts and managing development where coal and CBM leases (tenures) overlap.
The policy states that the MEM will inform tenure holders of coexisting coal or CBM tenures,
when issuing new tenures, in order to make tenure holders aware of potential conflicts and to
enable them to plan for exploration and development. All exploration and development activity,
even of privately-owned (freehold) minerals, requires regulatory approval from the MEM for coal
and the Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) for CBM. Before applying for approvals for coal or oil and
gas activities, Crown and freehold rights holders must make reasonable efforts to confirm if there
are coexisting rights holders. Where coexisting coal or CBM rights exist, rights holders must make
reasonable efforts to negotiate and develop compatible resource exploration, development, and
production programs between themselves. If the parties cannot develop collaborative work
programs or resolve conflicts, a three-member review panel from MEM and OGC will examine
the issues and facts associated with the development of the resources and recommend a
resolution to the appropriate decision maker, which is the Director of the Project Assessment
Branch of the OGC for CBM applications and the Chief Inspector of Mines of the MEM for coal
activity permits (BC MEM, 2005).
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Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia administers coal leases under the authority of the Mineral Resources Act of 1990.
Petroleum (or oil), natural gas, and CBM or coal gas agreements are administered under the
Petroleum Resources Act of 1989.
Nova Scotia refers to "coal gas" as "methane occurring naturally in coal seams and associated
strata and includes methane obtainable by methane extraction" in the Petroleum Resources Act
of 1989. In the case of existing leases in a given area, before entering into a coal gas agreement,
the government will notify all holders of rights6 in or adjacent to the area granted, allowing them
to make representations concerning the proposed coal gas agreement. The government may add
to, vary, or remove any terms or conditions of any petroleum, mineral, or gas storage lease in
order to coordinate and maximize the public benefit from petroleum and mineral resource
development (Nova Scotia Petroleum Resources Act. R.S., c. 342, s. 17).
With respect to coal mining, the Act forbids coal mine operators from disposing of any coal gas
without the written approval of the government. The government may also attach terms to the
approval such as conditions for conservation and utilization of gas (Nova Scotia Petroleum
Resources Act. R.S., c. 342, s. 18).
Incentives and Policies
Under Alberta's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Program, Alberta requires facilities that emit more
than 100,000 tonnes of GHGs per year to reduce emissions intensity by 12 percent, as of July 1,
2007. These reductions may be achieved by making improvements to their operations,
purchasing Alberta-based offset credits, contributing to the Climate Change and Emissions
Management Fund, or by purchasing or using Emission Performance Credits (EPCs). EPCs are
generated by facilities that have gone beyond the 12 percent mandatory intensity reduction.
Payments made to the Climate Change and Emissions Management Fund will be invested in
projects and technology to reduce GHG emissions in Alberta (Government of Alberta, 2013). The
Carbon Competitiveness Incentive Regulation (CCIR, 2018) replaced the Specified Gas Emitters
Regulation (SGER) on January 1, 2018. Under the CCIR, the Alberta Climate Change Office sets
product-based benchmarks for facilities in each sector. Compliance obligations are being phased
in from 2008 to 2020. Approximately Canadian dollar (C$)1.4 billion is available until 2024 to
support industry in the implementation of innovation projects that reduce GHG emissions.
British Columbia passed the Carbon Tax Act in May 2008. The Act puts a price on GHG emissions,
providing an incentive for sustainable choices that produce fewer emissions. British Columbia
started to phase in the escalating revenue neutral carbon tax on July 1, 2008. When introduced
in 2008, the tax was initially set at C$10 per tonne of CChe. It was designed to rise by C$5 per
year thereafter until it reached C$30 per tonne in 2012, after which it was frozen for five years
(Elgie and McClay, 2013). Beginning April 1, 2018, British Columbia's carbon tax rate is C$35 per
tonne of CO2 emissions. The tax rate will increase each year by C$5 per tonne until it reaches
C$50 per tonne in 2021. The initial price will be a minimum of C$10 per tonne of CO2, and it will
6 Rights granted pursuant to the Petroleum Act, the Mineral Resources Act (coal, for example) and/or the Gas
Storage Exploration Act.
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increase annually by C$10/tonne to reach C$50 in 2022. The new British Columbia carbon pricing
scheme is in alignment with Canada's proposed national carbon price where province-level
carbon pricing must be at or above the federal levels (BC, 2018). The tax is estimated to cover 70
percent of British Columbia's GHG emissions; however, the tax excludes fugitive emissions such
as CMM emissions, stating that they "cannot currently be accurately measured."
Further Readi
The following links provide additional information:
Canada GMI Country Profile:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview ch6.pdf
2,6. Germany
Ownership and Legal Status
In Germany, CMM resources are nationally-owned. According to the legal framework adopted at
the federal level, the Federal Mining Authority is responsible for the administration of activity
related to CMM exploration, extraction, and processing. CMM ownership rights are transferred
to a coal mining company for the duration of a coal mining license, after which the capture and
utilization of CMM requires a gas license for the subsequent 30-year period (USEPA, 2010). The
Federal Mining Authority considers an application for license after the applicant has submitted a
utilization program that clearly demonstrates that "planned activities are sufficient and within an
acceptable time frame for the type, scope, and purpose of the methane extraction." A license
can be refused or withdrawn if it is found to be inadequate with respect to legislatively-fixed
factors, including the availability of sufficient funds, and the feasibility of a proposed extraction
technology within a given timeframe and public interests (World Bank, 2007).
Incentives and Policies
Germany's primary policy incentive for CMM recovery and use projects is through a feed-in tariff
for CMM used to generate power under the Renewable Energy Sources Act of 2004 (RESA). RESA
requires electric grid system operators to connect plants generating electricity from mine gas to
their systems and guarantees priority purchase and transmission of all electricity from such
plants. RESA provides a guaranteed fixed payback tariff for 20 years through feed-in tariffs or fees
paid for electricity produced from mine gas (USEPA, 2011). Depending on the size of the power
plant, the tariff ranged from US$0.07 to US$0.09/kWh. Since 2004, between 160 and 190 MW of
CMM power plant capacity has operated in Germany, of which approximately 75 percent is from
abandoned mines (IEA, 2016; Backhaus, 2018).
Further Reading
The following links provide additional information:
Renewables and Coal Mine Methane in German Legislation: Recommendations for Ukraine:
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https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/Backhaus CMM-Utilisation Germany eng.pdf
Germany GMI Country Profile:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview chl4.pdf
Lombia
Ownership and Legal Status
The national government owns all hydrocarbon and mineral resources in Colombia as stated in
Article 332 of the Constitution of 1991. The Ministerio de Minas y Energfa (Ministry of Mines and
Energy) (MME) is responsible for regulating the energy sector, including:
•	enforcement of the Colombian government's policies on exploration and production of
hydrocarbons, and technical regulation;
•	oversight of upstream activities such as drilling exploration wells and acquisition of seismic
data; and,
•	overseeing collection of production royalties.
Colombian laws empower the Agencia Nacional de Hidrocarburos (National Hydrocarbons
Agency) (ANH), an administrative body under the MME, to award areas for exploration and
production of hydrocarbons, including CBM. The Agencia Nacional de Minerfa (National Mining
Agency) (ANM), another administrative body under the MME, is charged with managing the
mineral resources of Colombia. The only rights that the mine owner currently has regarding CH4
encountered during mining (CMM) is defined in Resolution 90325, which was passed in 2014.
This resolution states that underground mines that encounter CMM during the mining process
can use the gas for their own purposes (MME, 2014).
Currently, there is no regulation or law preventing a developer from applying for a license to
explore and produce CBM in Colombia; an unconventional hydrocarbon license issued by ANH
provides the right to explore for all unconventional gases, which includes CBM. If exploration of
CBM was not the target of the original hydrocarbon license application, after award, a petition
can be submitted to the ANH for permission to include coal-associated gas contained by the
coalbeds during the exploration phase. Presently, the only apparent solution available to the
owner of an existing coal license who wishes to sell gas or electricity to the market is to acquire
an unconventional hydrocarbon license covering the coal lease. Agreement 004 of 2012 states
that the Board of Directors of the ANH regulates the awards process for all hydrocarbon licenses,
and, as a general rule, is carried out through a competitive bidding process. However, with rare
exception, hydrocarbon licenses are issued by direct award with the prior authorization of the
ANH Board of Directors. Therefore, the owner of the coal estate would have to petition the ANH
for a direct award (Sepulveda and Fajardo, 2016).
ANH has established certain prerequisites specific to CBM activities, such as prior experience in
exploring and producing CBM, and demonstrated financial capacity. This process may thwart
many coal mine operators, as they may lack the experience and financial capacity to acquire the
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license. The work requirements and timing for CBM are different than those required for
conventional licenses, simply because it can take longer to evaluate the CBM reservoir for its
potential to produce (Sepulveda and Fajardo, 2016).
Once a hydrocarbon license is secured, the National Code of Natural Renewable Resources, or
Decree 2811 of 1974, requires that the developer must also obtain an environmental license.
Decree 1220 of 2005, Decree 2820 of 2010, and Decree 2041 of 2014 (currently in force) issued
by the Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable
Development) (MADS) establishes the basic procedures and requirements to obtain an
environmental license for hydrocarbon exploration and production. Within the MADS is the
Autoridad Nacional de Licencias Ambientales (National Authority for Environmental Licenses)
(ANLA), which is responsible forgrantingthe environmental licenses (ProColombia, n.d. and Ernst
& Young, 2018).
A critical component to any mineral or hydrocarbon resource development in Colombia is the
requirement to consider the local communities in the area. If the hydrocarbon license includes
any portion of an area that is controlled by or populated by indigenous people or is a part of
African-Colombian territories or communities, the developer is subject to a Prior Consultant
Process with these communities. This process is termed "Consulta Previa" (DPLF, 2011). In 1997,
the Court issued Ruling S039/1997, stating that an ethnic group's participation in Consulta Previa
is a fundamental right. In 2008, Ruling C030/2008 was issued, which clarified how consultations
were to be performed. The purpose of this consultation process is to identify any and all impacts
of the proposed project's activities on the communities and must include measures that mitigate
the negative impacts, while maximizing positive impacts. The Ministry of Interior regulates this
process, and a certified letter from the Ministry indicating that the applicant has fulfilled this
obligation is required as part of the environmental license application (Mininterior, 2017).
Incentives and Policies
Currently, Decree 4923 of 2011 sets forth a 40 percent reduction in royalties applicable to
unconventional hydrocarbons, which includes CBM and CMM (Ernst & Young, 2016). There are
no other incentives pertaining to either CBM or CMM development. Colombia's carbon tax began
on January 1, 2017 and is currently set at US$5/tonne CChe (IETA, 2018). The tax applies to the
sales and imports of all fossil fuels, including all petroleum derivatives, except for coal and natural
gas power generation. The program allows for regulated entities to achieve reductions (and be
exempted from the tax liability) through the use of offset projects. Offset projects must be
located in Colombia and follow either CDM methodologies or those developed by recognized
GHG programs like the VCS - both of which have CMM project methodologies (IETA, 2018).
Further Reading
The following links provide additional information:
CMM and its Strategic Role in Climate Change Mitigation: CMM Policies in Colombia:
https://www.unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/energy/se/pp/eneff/8th IFESD Astana 2017/13 June
/CMM Climate change/01 Pilcher.pdf
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Global Methane Initiative (GMI) Coal Subcommittee Meeting and Coal Mine Methane
Workshop findings:
http://www.globalmethane.org/news-events/event detailsbylD.aspx?eventlD=451
Colombia Coal Sector Update to the 20th Session of the GMI Coal Subcommittee:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/Coal-Subcommittee-Oct-2Q14-Colombia.pdf
GMI Colombia Country Profile:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview ch8.pdf
2,8. Mongolia
Ownership and Legal Status
Mongolia's mineral resources are national government-owned and administered through the
Ministry of Mining (MOM). Mongolia has plentiful coal resources, with proven reserves over
12 billion tonnes and unexplored resources ranging to at least an order of magnitude greater.
The Mineral Resources Authority (MRA) and the Petroleum Authority are implementing agencies
under the MOM and are charged with the responsible development of mineral and petroleum
resources through licensure and the enforcement of regulations governing development. The
MRA is responsible for the development and leasing of minerals such as coal under the Minerals
Law (2006); and the Petroleum Authority, under authority of the Petroleum Law (1991), governs
the exploration and production of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. Prior to 2014, the Ministry
of Energy (MOE) claimed that any research or exploration for CH4 associated with coal must also
be permitted through its system. The original Mongolian Petroleum Law focused on exploration
and development of conventional oil and gas resources and did not contemplate the occurrence
of oil and gas deposits associated with coal seams or organic rich shale.
The Government of Mongolia passed an amendment to the Petroleum Law in 2014, which
recognized CBM as an unconventional petroleum resource. In 2014, the Government of Mongolia
re-organized the ministries and clarified responsibilities. As a result, the MOE could only be
involved in CMM or CBM to the extent that it is used to generate power. MOM's subordinate
agencies, the Petroleum Authority and the MRA, implement laws and regulations and enable
licensing and permitting to promote the beneficial development of mineral and petroleum
resources.
The Mongolian Parliament passed a resolution in 2015 that further clarifies procedures for
obtaining a permit to explore and exploit coal-associated gas. This resolution was crafted as a
way of avoiding conflict between operators that presently have production-sharing agreements
for conventional oil and gas, and entities seeking to apply for unconventional petroleum
exploration and exploitation permits. The resolution also requires that the Petroleum Authority
notify a coal mine operator holding mining licenses granted by the MRA of any application to
explore for CMM/CBM within the mining license block. Further, the mine operator has the
opportunity to apply for a CMM exploration and exploitation license covering its license block
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once notified. The mine operator must formally refuse the opportunity if the operator does not
wish to develop the resource. With these recent governmental reorganization and legislative
actions, companies interested in developing CMM or CBM can follow a relatively clear procedure
from discovery through to production. Nevertheless, further regulation is being contemplated to
remove remaining uncertainty in the process.
No exploration or Production Sharing Contracts have been negotiated for resources distinguished
as CMM; however, members of the MRA have indicated that there are regulations that require
coal lease holders to estimate the CH4 resources associated with coal and the surrounding strata.
Incentives and Policies
Although Mongolia has abundant coal supply, the Government of Mongolia seeks to diversify its
energy mix, including encouraging the
production of CMM and CBM (Ruiz and Pilcher, 2016). Incentives to date include reduced
royalties on CBM (the Petroleum Law of 2014 included a fiscal incentive of a 10 percent royalty,
instead of 15 percent for conventional resources; and a 2015 government resolution indicated
royalties of 5 to 10 percent for CBM (Mendbayar, 2016). The Mongolian government is also
considering other incentives such as subsidies for CMM utilization/CMM-generated power; and
tax, fee, and royalty exemptions (Mendbayar, 2016). Mongolia's Nationally Determined
Contribution (NDC) presents a commitment to reduce its GHG emissions by 14 percent by 2030.
The NDC includes an increased share of renewable energy (wind, solar, hydro), but no increased
natural gas usage, and, thus, no incentives for CMM.
Further Readi
The following links provide additional information:
Coal Mine Methane (CMM) Resource Assessment and Emissions Inventory Development in
Mongolia:
https://www.globalmethane.org/Data/MNEC-CMM-Grant-Final-Report FINAL.pdf
Methane Recovery and Utilization Opportunities:
https://www.globalmethane.org/documents/partners mongolia methane opportunity.pdf
Mongolia GMI Country Profile:
http://www.globalmethane.org/documents/toolsres coal overview ch22.pdf
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2.9. Summary of International CMM Ownership and Policies
Table 2 summarizes the CMM ownership laws as well as policies and incentives for CMM project
development in the countries profiled above in this report.
Table 2: Summary of CMM Ownership and Policies in Key Countries
Country
Ownership and Legal Status
Incentives and Policies
China
Central government-owned
Coal and CBM are licensed separately
but may overlap; surface pre-mine
drainage requires a CBM license
(administered as oil and gas);
recovery of VAM in-mine drained,
gob-drained CMM, etc., does not
require a CBM license
Required to use or flare CMM > 30%
CH4; 0.3 CNY/m3 subsidy for CMM
utilization and a 0.25 CNY/kWh
subsidy for CBM/CMM-fueled power
generation; exemptions for
prospecting and licensing fees as well
as VAT on equipment
Shanxi and Shaanxi Provinces:
0.1 CNY/m3 subsidy for CMM
utilization
Hunan Province: 0.15 CNY/m3 for
CMM recovered and 0.2 CNY/m3 for
CMM used
Mexico
Federally-owned
The recovery and use of CBM/CMM
for onsite usage by coal mining
concessionaires or for gas sales to
government-owned gas company is
allowed
Carbon tax on fossil fuel use has been
implemented since 2014.
Modifications to the Carbon Tax
during its passage through Congress
were made to exclude natural gas
from the tax, and at this time, CMM is
not included in the tax scheme. CERs
from Mexico-hosted CMM projects
may be used to avoid the tax.
Ukraine
National government-owned
The government can issue CMM
leases with new coal mining leases to
mine operators; existing mines are
required to obtain a permit for CMM
exploration and production; mines
may sell their rights to CMM
CMM project profits are not subject
to taxation; flaring of CMM from
degasification systems is prohibited;
government also reduced rent
payments by 14-29% in December
2015. If CMM is produced at state-
owned mines, the National Energy
and Utilities Regulatory Commission
sets wholesale prices.
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Country
Ownership and Legal Status
Incentives and Policies
Australia
State/provincially-owned
Queensland: CMM utilization by
mines is allowed onsite, offsite sales
requires petroleum lease
NSW: The coal lessee may apply for
inclusion of petroleum or gas in the
mining lease, provided the area is not
already under a petroleum lease
Queensland: Flaring CMM is
prohibited if it is commercially or
technically feasible to use the CMM
NSW: CH4 recovered in conjunction
with coal mining is exempt from
royalties (CBM leased through
Petroleum Act is subject to royalties)
The government established an
A$2.55 billion Emissions Reduction
Fund to efficiently and effectively
source emissions reductions, where
emissions reductions are purchased
by the government as they are
generated; CMM emissions
reductions projects using flares,
electricity production devices, or
flameless oxidation devices, such as
VAM oxidation devices, qualify
Canada
Mineral resources are ~ 90%
federally-owned, administered
provincially, with the remaining
privately-owned
Alberta: The coal lessee may recover
CMM with government approval, if
necessary for safety or conservation
reasons; otherwise, CMM/CBM is
treated as natural gas
British Columbia: Coal and CBM
tenures may overlap; government has
outlined a process for mitigating
conflicts
Nova Scotia: Coal and CBM rights may
overlap; the government will notify
existing rights holders before issuing
overlapping rights and may alter
existing lease to maximize resource
development
Alberta: The Greenhouse Gas
Reduction Program requires facilities
emitting > 100,000 tonnes CChe per
year to reduce emissions intensity by
12 percent, as of July 1, 2007
British Columbia: The carbon tax
excludes CMM
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Country
Ownership and Legal Status
Incentives and Policies
Germany
Federally-owned
The government transfers CMM
rights to the coal company for the
duration of the coal license, with an
option for a gas license after the coal
mining ceases
Feed-in tariff for CMM used to
generate power under the Renewable
Energy Sources Act of 2004
Colombia
National government-owned
Coal and CBM rights may overlap,
hydrocarbon leaseholder (which
includes CBM) has rights to CBM; coal
owner has no rights to CBM, except in
the case of underground mines that
can only use the gas encountered
while mining for their own use
(Resolution 90325)
Royalty paid to the national
government for unconventional gas
(includes CBM) is reduced by 40%
Mongolia
National government-owned
The exploration and production of
liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons,
including unconventional resources
such as CBM, are governed under the
Petroleum Law (1991) by the
Petroleum Authority. The Petroleum
Authority must notify a coal mine
operator holding mining licenses
granted by the MRA of any
application to explore for CMM/CBM
within the mining license block. The
mine operator has the opportunity to
apply for a CMM exploration and
exploitation license covering its
license block if notified, and the
obligation to formally refuse the
opportunity if it does not wish to
develop the resource.
Reduced royalties for CBM
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3, Incentivizing CMM Capture and Utilization through Ownership and
Policy Incentives
The following sections discuss considerations and options for developing laws and policies that
prevent ownership conflicts, mitigate perceived legal barriers for project developers, and
incentivize CMM utilization. These options are based on successful laws and policies in key CMM-
producing countries showcased in the previous section.
' rnership Options
Ill-defined gas property rights and lack of clarity regarding the ownership of the CBM/CMM and
permitting process in many developed countries serve as obstacles to the development of gas
production and utilization projects (USEPA, 2009c). As international case studies show, there are
numerous opportunities for conflicts to arise in the absence of clear CMM ownership rules,
particularly where coal and gas rights overlap.
As CMM projects require coal mine cooperation and are often initiated by coal companies, giving
coal mines first priority for CMM exploration and development activities as in Ukraine and
Germany provides the most straightforward ownership solution. A step further to encourage
CMM utilization is to allow coal mining areas to be considered potential CBM concessions should
the coal mine decline to explore for and/or develop the resource after a given time period.
3,2. Policy Incentives
Because ownership is only facet of successfully launching a CMM project, countries have
developed various policy incentives, such as royalty relief, feed-in tariffs, tax incentives, and
others. While not discussed in this report, renewable portfolio standards that are expanded to
alternative sources such as CMM are also effective in promoting CMM-based power.
An important consideration in developing policies is to ensure that safety regulations take
precedence and that unsafe activities are discouraged. Policies requiring CMM capture and use,
particularly over a given concentration (e.g., 30 percent CH4 concentration to use or flare the
gas), may encourage operators to maintain gas concentrations below a certain percent by
dilution, ignoring best practices and safety standards.
Royalties
In addition to safety regulations for issues such as mine air CH4 concentrations, options exist to
encourage safer CMM development practices. Pre-drainage is the only means of reducing gas
flow directly from the worked seam, which can be important if the seam being extracted is the
main gas emission source. Incentives such as royalty relief for pre-drained gas could be
administered to encourage this method of degasification over other methods, as is the case in
Colombia. Royalty relief can be a successful incentive by encouraging pre-drainage of gas prior
to mining. Royalty relief can also apply to CMM projects.
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Feed-In Tariffs
Feed-in tariffs can promote CMM projects through higher prices for alternative electricity on the
electricity market. Feed-in tariffs, such as Germany's Renewable Energy Law, led to widespread
CMM and abandoned mine methane (AMM) project development. China's subsidies for CMM
utilization and CBM/CMM-fueled power generation provide grid access for CMM-based
electricity and make CMM projects more economic.
Tax Incentives
Tax exemptions may provide an incentive to develop CMM projects. China provides an exemption
from VAT on CMM project equipment, and Ukraine provides a tax exemption for CMM project
profits. Tax incentives can come in many forms. In addition to federal VAT exemptions for
equipment, tax relief can include delays or exemptions on CMM production or technology
development, tax credits for investment loans, waiving import duties, and other state and local
income tax relief (Wenge, 2015).
Other Financial Incentives
Direct funding is another way to offer incentives for CMM projects. For example, the Australian
Emissions Reductions Fund contributes directly to actions that result in emissions reductions,
including CMM projects. Similarly, the Australian GGAP initiative supported emissions reduction
projects for a targeted period of time, including direct funding for CMM projects as part of four
electric power projects. Although not discussed here, other options are project financing, loan
guarantees, etc.
The economic returns of many CMM projects are lower than preferred rates which make it
difficult to attract financing for strictly energy usage or sales. Additional revenue from
environmental credits such as carbon credits or renewable energy credits can significantly
improve rates of return and cash flow of projects. Carbon finance can provide the capital
investment needed and improve the attractiveness of otherwise economically marginal CMM
projects (USEPA, 2016).
3 treach and Education
Education and information dissemination can also play an important role in the development of
CMM recovery and utilization projects. There are CMM clearinghouses and information centers
in such countries as China, India, and Russia. In 1994, the Chinese government and the USEPA
founded the first of these institutions, the China Coalbed Methane Clearinghouse, housed within
the China Coal Information Institute. The Russian International Coal and Methane Research
Center (Uglemetan) began operating in 2002 and the India CMM Clearinghouse in 2008.
Many organizations such as the GMI, the International Energy Agency, the United Nations
Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the USEPA have been actively participating in the
development of CMM recovery dissemination practices through technical information sessions,
development of documents and tools, and participation in international events (USEPA, 2009c).
The Group of Experts on Coal Mine Methane have held capacity-building workshops and
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seminars on CMM best practices in Kazakhstan, China, and India in 2017; and Poland and
Colombia in 2018. In addition, past events such as USEPA's U.S. CMM Conference bring coal
mines, project developers, government representatives, and technology providers together to
foster ideas for further CMM project development. Under the auspices of the UNECE, the first
International Center of Excellence (ICE)-CMM was opened in Katowice, Poland, in 2017. A second
ICE was opened with the Shanxi Cooking Coal Group in Tian Jin, China, in September 2017. The
centers support capacity building through dissemination of best practices on economically viable
CH4 abatement and utilization, safe underground coal mine practices, and environmentally
responsible CH4 management.
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