Coalbed Methane Production and Groundwater

Coalbed methane (CBM) is a form of natural gas extracted from coalbeds that is being produced in the Tongue River watershed in southeastern Montana. Methane is extracted from coalbeds by removing groundwater from coal aquifers, thereby reducing the pressure in the coal, allowing the methane to be collected. The co-produced water is brought to the surface and managed for disposal. The MBMG works with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to monitor groundwater resources and study the effects of CBM production on groundwater and surface-water quality and quantity.

The MBMG provides data and reports presenting a unified and comprehensive hydrologic picture of the Montana portion of CBM production. Regulators from Montana, Wyoming, the Federal government, Tribal governments, and private citizens require data and hydrologic interpretations of these data to make decisions concerning coalbed-methane development and water-quality protection issues. Interpretations of data held in this database are published annually and all reports are available on this website through the MBMG Publications Catalog. These reports represent our current knowledge about groundwater and surface-water systems in the Powder River Basin.

Related Publications and Data