Proposals have been unveiled that could revive the UK coal industry through the extraction of coal bed methane. StrataGas plans to raise £5.6 million ($8.5 million) in funding to drill five wells in the mining region of Silverdale in Staffordshire. The Staffordsire fields are expected to hold reserves greater than 3 trillion cubic feet and StrataGas, which already has a commercial project in the area using gas venting from old mine workings, plans to extract much of it. The company has attracted experienced staff from the Alabama based coal bed methane company Black Warrior.
