The patented system was designed and is built by West Virginia-based company KSD Enterprises.

The Methane Busters are used for methane removal from coalbed areas in both pre-mining and post-mining situations. In the US, approximately 20 mines use the machine to extract goaf gas while in Australia one mine is using the machine for goaf gas extraction.

In the US vertical boreholes are drilled to the coal seam at planned locations in the longwall panel. A Methane Buster is connected to the boreholes at the surface.

As longwall mining progresses, the Methane Busters are activated to apply a negative pressure to the mine atmosphere. While excess goaf gas is liberated, the Methane Buster continuously exhausts that gas directly from the mine. This prevents excess methane from entering the mine's main ventilation system.

As they are fuelled by mine gas the Methane Busters are run continuously as long as excess methane is present. When the excess methane stops, the Methane Buster is moved forward to another borehole where excess methane is anticipated. Typically, mines use multiple Methane Busters on consecutive boreholes and move the rear one to the front of the line as liberation decreases at the rear.

The self-contained pump and engine combination extracts methane and uses the fuel extracted to power itself. A unique, patented fuel control system allows for running in conditions where methane concentration may be as low as 30%. Excess methane that is not required to power the pump can be used in various ways. It can be used to power other equipment directly from the engine such as generators, water pumps, compressors, etc. The unit is mounted on a skid base and can be moved and set up at a new site in less than a day.

A US mining company said the Methane Busters had enabled its mine to consistently be in compliance with MSHA requirements for methane.

The 6 cylinder engine driven system has a footprint of 5 X 10 feet and weighs about 3000 lbs. Pumps can be built in portable or permanent configurations with inlet sizes ranging from 6 inches to 24 inches. The machine can deliver from 25,500 liters per second up.

Some system features include automatic engine oil replenishment, automatic protective shut off system, continual methane fueling, lifting brackets, electronic ignition, muffler system and gas flow silencer.

“The present design is a product of years of close working with mining people to make the unit miner friendly,” KSD said.

“Widespread use in US mines attest to the benefits of using the Methane Buster.”