Fugitive emissions in the mining industry

What are 'fugitive emissions'?

Fugitive emissions are releases that include methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions that do not come from a stack, duct or vent. These emissions generally include equipment leaks, emissions from the bulk handling, extraction or processing of raw materials, and other industrial processes.

Watch this video about fugitive emissions in the oil refinery industry:
http://www.videojug.com/expertanswer/oil-refineries/what-are-fugitive-emissions

In 2005, fugitive emissions represented 5.5% of Australia's emissions, at 32.3 Mt of CO₂-e (carbon dioxide equivalent).

Fugitive emissions in the minerals sector

In the minerals sector, fugitive emissions of methane from open cut coal mines occur when coal and rock layers are broken and disturbed as part of the mining process. This allows the methane present in these coal seam layers to escape. This is called coal seam methane. Where there is a large amount of methane gas, mining companies have begun to use this as an additional power generating source.

Find out more about coal seam methane at:

You can read about a methane extraction project underway in NSW at:

http://www.im-mining.com/2008/12/02/rio-tinto-taps-into-new-technology-to-cut-emissions/

If methane is not deliberately captured or burned off to create carbon dioxide for safety or environmental reasons, it is released as a by-product of the mining of black coal.

BHP Illawarra Coal's West Cliff Mine south-west of Sydney has been capturing coal seam methane prior to mining since 1995. The gas is captured and used to generate electricity through a power plant located near the mine. For a process required for safety reasons, it has resulted in savings to the company's annual greenhouse gas emissions by 2.5 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent (CO₂-e) and produces enough energy to power around 60 000 homes each year. BHP has developed further technology that captures very dilute methane from the mine's ventilation systems, which can provide power for an additional 20 000 homes. This presents additional greenhouse gas emission savings of up to 250 000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year.

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