Coal to Gas That Doesn't Require Fracking

Just in time: coal-to-gas technique that doesn't require fracking!

In case the link is broken, are two paragraphs from the Bismarck Tribune.com article:

The technique can be used on deep-underground coal seams that are shielded from groundwater. The process works by injecting oxygen and steam into a seam, sparking a chemical reaction that converts the coal into a gas that is collected through a boring injected into another part of the coal vein. The synthetic gas - "syngas" - that is produced can be used in electrical generation or processed into synthetic fuels and natural gas feedstocks.

"It's not a new technology, but it's one that is new to a lot of people," said Mike Fowler, who works on climate technology for the Clean Air Task Force, an environmental group in Boston. The process has been around for decades, but has not been used in North America until recently.

 Also, coal-drying plant near South Heart passes first test: cleaner, more efficient coal.