The Effect of Rumen Fluid Application on Various Coal Types in Methane Production

Authors

  • Dahrul Effendi Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0996-9736
  • Asep Kurnia Permadi Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung
  • Doddy Abdassah Department of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Mining and Petroleum Engineering, Institut Teknologi Bandung
  • Bambang Widarsono BRIN (Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional) https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8023-4420

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17794/rgn.2025.1.12

Keywords:

rumen fluid, formation water, microbes, coal types, coal bed methane

Abstract

Indonesia is one of the largest coal producers in the world. The conversion of coal into coalbed methane (CBM) by involving methane-producing microbes appears to be a potential alternative to utilizing coal for energy resources. One possible source of methanogens is rumen fluid collected from slaughterhouse waste. Previous studies have reported the possibility of employing rumen fluid to produce methane from coals. To sustain field application, microbiological testing of rumen fluid in CBM reservoir circumstances is required. Therefore, various water formations and coals were involved in the present study. The present study aims to identify methane production by combining rumen fluid as methane-producing microbes, formation water, and various coal types (A: lignite, B: sub-bituminous, C: bituminous, and K: control) at room temperature. The results suggest that supplying microbes from rumen fluid and formation water can produce methane from different types of coal. Microbial activity in all treatments is denoted by pH changes and observing living microbes. Bacilli are the predominant type of microorganism. Due to coal organic compound breakdown, the presence of methanogenic microbial activity is denoted by volatile fatty acids (VFA). The total VFA in all treatments demonstrated a similar declining tendency. It was found that all treatments produce volatile fatty acids in different amounts up to 60 days of incubation. These acids included acetic, propionic, butyric, iso-butyric, iso-valeric, and valeric acids. Acetic acid is the most commonly produced partial VFA, the primary, intermediate compound in methane formation. Treatment A with lignite coal had the maximum gas production. The cumulative gas volume reached 16,400 mL after 60 days of incubation. In contrast, the highest cumulative methane production occurred in treatment C with bituminous coal, amounting to 100.60 mL after 60 days of incubation.

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Published

2025-02-11

Issue

Vol. 40 No. 1 (2025): No. 72

Section

Petroleum Engineering and Energetics

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Copyright (c) 2025 Dahrul Effendi, Asep Kurnia Permadi, Doddy Abdassah, Bambang Widarsono

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How to Cite

The Effect of Rumen Fluid Application on Various Coal Types in Methane Production. (2025). Rudarsko-geološko-Naftni Zbornik, 40(1), 165-178. https://doi.org/10.17794/rgn.2025.1.12