US firm signs coal to gas technology deal with Enviro Energy

Wyoming-based firm Next Fuel, Inc. announced Wednesday that it has signed a definitive agreement with PT Enviro Energy to field test Next Fuel's Coal to Gas technology (CTG Technology) to determine the commercial viability of utilizing it to produce natural gas at PT Enviro Energy's coal deposits in Indonesia.

The company believes that this is the first ever field test utilizing Coal to Gas technology in situ on virgin lignite coal seams.

Next Fuel expects to commence pilot testing this month.

Robert Craig, Chairman and CEO of Next Fuel, Inc., stated, "Next Fuel has been conducting extensive testing of our technology in the lab for many years, obtaining favorable results and strategically preparing for our first field test as a final step towards commercialization. To our knowledge, this is the first field test of its kind in the world on virgin coal deposits; and a positive outcome will be a dramatic advancement not only for Next Fuel, but the entire energy industry. PT Enviro Energy owns significant coal assets in Indonesia and realizes the potential for this technology to transform unusable lignite, or 'dirty coal', into the cleanest fossil fuel with a growing market demand."

Craig continued, "It is estimated that 20-40% of the world's natural gas is derived from 'coal bed methane'. Our technology is unique in that we inject environmentally friendly amendments into the coal bed, circulate it utilizing our patent pending process, and accelerate the naturally occurring production of natural gas from the coal. Our implementation team is working very closely on site with PT Enviro Energy team, and we look forward to commencing the first pilot this month." (denny)