State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Reserves Instruction N 523

In 2009, the State Commission of Ukraine on Mineral Reserves at the Ministry of Environmental Protection approved "Instructions on the application of the classification of mineral reserves and resources of the state subsoil fund to the geological-economic assessment of general (emission) and extractable mine methane reserves of coal and gas deposits in the zones of associated technologically necessary degassing during the development of coal seams". Developed in accordance with the Code of Ukraine on Subsoil, the Mining Law of Ukraine, Law of Ukraine "On alternative types of liquid and gas fuel", and other related laws, the Instruction establishes the requirements for geological study of methane-bearing coal seams and host rock formations, methane reservoirs, as well as the requirements for calculation and state accounting of recoverable and total emissions from coalbed methane reserves of coal and gas fields and their geological and economic assessment. 
The instruction lists what studies must be conducted, and what data should be used for calculation of methane reserves.  It also requires testing of coal seams and host rocks for gas capacity. Also, Section 6 provides for conditions that determine the readiness of recoverable coalbed methane reserves of coal and gas fields for industrial development, called "geological and technical and economic justification of the calculation of mine methane reserves".
All enterprises, organisations and institutions that carry out planning, financing and implementation of geological exploration works for the assessment of methane reserves of coal and gas deposits are required to follow the instructions.

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