Potential for Underground Gasification of Pakistani Lignite Coal

Laboratory scale process of underground gasification of Pakistani lignite has been performed to check the potential of the Pakistani coal for gasification. High permeability and low swelling index of coal are desirable properties for UCG. In Pakistani lignite both properties are found and in case of lignite and brown coal, natural permeability provides adequate linkage. The proximate and ultimate compositions of the samples show that it is of low quality coal with high volatile matter. Coal has been converted into syngas and utilized as the substitute of natural gas and for power generation. Keywords: underground coal gasification, syngas, Pakistani lignites, Thar coal