With its energy, environmental, engineering and land-use planning experience, RPS is uniquely placed to provide its clients team with complementary skills in support of assessing and developing Coal Bed Methane (CBM) assets throughout the UK.

Integrated CBM evaluation and development planning services

Technical and commercial counsel from evaluation to abandonment

Management of planning and consenting

Environmental and Regulatory compliance

Construction Management and Design.

RPS is an independent consultancy with a wide range of geographical and

technical experience across the energy sector. Our experience includes

both conventional oil and gas and unconventional gas such as CBM.

We have extensive experience of achieving planning and environmental

permitting consents for energy schemes including CBM projects

throughout the UK and Europe.

RPS has a broad industry perspective and worldwide presence.

Unconventional gas (UCG), especially CBM, has emerged as a significant source of

gas supply in the United States of America, and as a potential feedstock for Liquefied

Natural Gas (LNG) exports from Eastern Australia. This has led to a high level of

activity in CBM licensing, exploration and pilot testing in the UK, Europe and Asia,

including India, China, Vietnam and Indonesia.

Preliminary worldwide CBM resources are estimated to range between 5,800 and

24,215 Trillion Cubic Feet (TCF)1. CBM resources in the UK and in Europe are in the

process of being estimated but proven reserves in Australia have been estimated at

nearly 90 TCF by IHS.

In Asia, the estimated size of the CBM prize is about 1,200 TCF in China, and 453 TCF

in Indonesia2.

In addition to being a source of energy, potential also exists for sequestration of CO2

through Enhanced CBM (ECBM) recovery processes.

1 Historical Perspective And Future Opportunities Of Coalbed Methane, Andrew R. Scott, Altuda Energy Corporation, San Antonio, Texas

2 Worldwide Coalbed Methane Overview, Alex Chakhmakhchev, IHS, SPE Hydrocarbon Economics and Evaluation Symposium, 1-3 April 2007, Dallas, Texas, SPE 106850

RPS offers a comprehensive suite of services across the CBM project lifecycle

RPS has a unique mix of planning,

environmental, engineering, regulatory

and sub-surface specialists that can be

combined with the clients own skills for

the effective design and implementation of

CBM projects.

RPS can integrate these capabilities to

address the whole life cycle of a CBM

project in areas including:

Strategic Planning

Resource Evaluation and Assessment

Health, Safety and Risk Management

Environmental and Regulatory

Process Management

Operations Planning and Support

Field Development Planning

and Operations

Gas Marketing

Production Optimisation

Completion / Decommission.

Evaluate & Plan Develop Produce Optimise

The involvement of RPS in CBM Resource Assessment and Evaluation has been growing with the industry over the last 30 years in North America and Australia. We are now applying this knowledge and experience to assisting clients working in the emerging CBM markets in the UK, Europe, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam.

We have been actively involved in: CBM Evaluation, Development and Well Planning; Integrated Production Modelling and automation processes for integrated asset management and optimization activities; and, HSE and Risk Management support to operators and service providers for more than a decade.

We are currently supporting CBM Producers and Drilling Contractors in Australia with HSE Management Systems and Audits; Seismic and Pipeline Survey Services; and Regulatory Submissions for pipelines and infrastructure.

Recent project examples

CBM screening and acquisition evaluations in the UK, Australia,

Canada, Indonesia, and the USA.

CBM pilot program, fracturing stimulation and horizontal well

planning and evaluations in North America, Australia and India.

Integrated production modelling of over 2000 well CBM project

in North America.

RPS can provide a wide range of CBM

technical services including:

Asset Evaluation

Regional GIS Studies

Mapping and GIIP Assessments

Logging, Core Collection and Analysis

and Well Test Requirements for

Evaluation of CBM Delineation Wells

Design and Interpretation of Injection/

Fall-off Tests

Effective Permeability Determination

from Core Test and Simulation

Well Production Forecasting

Co-ordinated and Quality Control of

Laboratory Studies

Reserve and Resource Evaluations

Development Concepts and Planning

Development Schedule Audits.

Completion and Production Plans

Appropriate Completion and

Stimulation Methods, including Cavity

Completions and Fracturing

Application of Horizontal and Multi-

lateral Drilling and Completion

Techniques

Lift Technology for Dewatering

Dewatering of CBM Wells with

Downhole Disposal

Hydraulic Fracture or Re-fracture

Design

Injectivity Testing of Water Disposal

zones

Water Disposal Well Design and

Stimulation

Technical Specifications for salt water

disposal facilities

HSE Management Systems and

Training.

Field Development

Formation Evaluation of Exploration

Wells

Estimating Coal Bed Gas Content and

Sorption Isotherm using cores and

well logs

Production Forecasts for Gas and

Water

Optimising Well Spacing and

Geometry

Gathering System and Compressor

Optimisation

Development Cost and Schedule

Review

Technical & Economic Risk

Assessments

Evaluation of Subsurface Water

Disposal Horizons

Enhanced CBM Recovery and CO2

storage techniques.

Evaluate & Plan Develop Produce Optimise

RPS is one of the world’s largest and most-respected environmental consultancies and has extensive experience of providing environmental support services to the energy sector worldwide. In addition, we have significant demonstrated and on-going experience in managing the regulatory approvals process for projects, both large and small.

RPS has global experience in developing the regulatory approvals strategy and in project managing approval processes for major developments in challenging regulatory environments from Asia Pacific and Australia, the United States and Europe. We manage Stakeholder concerns as well as the Environmental and Regulatory approvals processes throughout the life of a project within an evolving regulatory framework, delivering certainty to project investment and completion.

Recent project examples

Planning (including EIA) and regulatory approval for CBM exploratory and pilot testing well sites in the UK for clients including Composite Energy Ltd, & Greenpark Energy Ltd (40+ schemes). Technical support, project management, planning, site design and civil construction support for Centrica Energy Ltd for multiple sites within South Wales

Environmental Due Diligence of CBM asset acquisitions in the UK and in Europe.

Assessment of hydrogeological / hydrological setting and to design remedial works and mitigation controls to treat and manage contaminated abstracted water.

RPS has provided full planning and

environmental consultancy support for

the preparation of multiple planning

applications for CBM exploratory and

pilot testing sites within the UK for

Composite Energy Ltd, Greenpark Energy

Ltd and Centrica Energy Ltd. Many of the

commissions have involved undertaking

Environmental Impact Assessments

and the subsequent preparation of the

Environmental Statements to accompany

planning applications.

We utilise in-house environmental and

engineering personnel, providing extensive

professional expertise to deliver practical

solutions for our clients across a broad

range of upstream and downstream

projects. This ensures planning is

delivered in a focused, cost effective and

timely manner meeting the objectives

of the client. Our range of services

and extensive team of experts provide

specialist guidance and advice in all areas of

environmental management to maximise

business potential and minimise negative

environmental, social and economic

impacts.

Our services comprise:

Constraints Mapping Planning

Feasibility Reviews

Project Management

Focused technical services

(hydrogeology, geotechnics, noise,

traffic, landscape, ecology, health

and safety)

Planning Strategies

Planning Applications

Environmental and Regulatory

Approvals

Environmental Impact Assessments

Environmental Permits

Environmental Management

Corporate Social Responsibility.

Our capabilities include:

Approval strategies, schedules and

budgets

Full technical support from site

selection through to site layout,

design and construction

Preparation of submissions for

planning and environmental approvals,

including planning appeals

Preparation of Appendix C

applications to DECC

Environmental Impact Assessment

(EIA), management and

documentation

Liaison with community and

government stakeholders ensuring

all environmental requirements are

understood and met

Providing expert witnesses to give

evidence at public inquiries.

Evaluate & Plan Develop Produce Optimise

Paras, now part of RPS, has worked with companies which have interests in CBM to help them develop their complete Information Systems strategy and to provide them with Knowledge, Information and Data Management methodologies suitable for supporting their activities.

RPS has worked with companies to help their staff understand the requirements of information and data management and to provide them with the skills to ensure that they can carry on with the data management once staff have left the project.

Consultants have delivered training courses in Knowledge, Information and Data Management through the conference and training provider, International Quality and Productivity Centre (IQPC).

Recent project examples

Information Systems strategy development for Santos and

PETRONAS Carigali

Project selection and support system for BG

Business systems review for Centrica Energy Ltd

Coal Bed Methane (CBM) developments

utilise many wells, pipelines and other

facilities, all of which create significant

volumes of data and information, as

they are installed and then utilised. All

this data and information requires

management and is used on a regular

basis to maintain the facilities and to

optimize CBM production.

Although the technology available

to manage this data and information

effectively exists and is in general use in

the conventional hydrocarbon industry,

what is usually missing in CBM is the

organisation and processes to ensure:

1 the capture of all the relevant

information; and,

2 the access to the same information as

and when it is needed.

RPS can assist companies in the:

Development and implementation of

information and data management

system strategies

Design of Information Security Models

Effective linking between remote

offices and headquarters

Organisation design, including job

descriptions for IS support teams.

Our experience includes:

Development and implementation of

information systems strategies

Data management - framework

development and training

Information management - system

design and implementation

Knowledge management - creating

knowledge sharing environments

Application selection - structured

process for selecting applications

Project and programme management

Information security - design of

security models

Infrastructure requirements definition

Interim Management - Chief

Information Officer, Programme

Manager.

Evaluate & Plan Develop Produce Optimise

The people in our Gas Consulting team have:

Been directly involved in many of the important oil and gas developments around the world, including in North America, Trinidad & Tobago, UKCS and Norway, Algeria, Caspian, Russia, Ukraine, West Africa, SE Asia and Australia

Wide-ranging expertise from the development of long-term gas strategies through to front-line business negotiations

Extensive relationships with Governments, National Oil Companies and customers

A track record of delivery through the leadership and development of effective teams

Recent project examples

Gas, LNG, and NGL sales contract negotiations in UK, EU, Algeria, Trinidad & Tobago, Australia and Turkey

Gas Transportation contract negotiations in North America, UKCS and Algeria

LNG Projects in Australia, and Trinidad & Tobago and US re-gasification terminal business development

The gas value chain includes gas strategy,

upstream commercial arrangements and

agreements, through to transportation and

gas marketing. Understanding this chain is

essential to ensure a successful CBM project.

RPS can assist clients in areas including:

Gas value chain strategy

country gas master plans, industry

structure and regulation

company gas strategy and portfolio

development

gas and LNG project

commercialisation structures and plans

gas and LNG infrastructure and

markets.

Contract negotiations and business

development

development of objectives,

commercial structures and negotiating

tactics

delivery of key agreements (MOUs,

term sheets, gas and LNG sales

contracts, Joint Operating and other

partner agreements)

identification of enhancement

opportunities for existing agreements.

Joint Venture management

design, negotiation and set-up to

implementation

ongoing management, including

maximising influence and dispute

resolution.

Independent reviews of gas value

chain issues

Strategies, business cases and

negotiating tactics

E&P Strategy for gas developments &

commercialization.

Evaluate & Plan Develop Produce Optimise

We are a global, multi-disciplinary

consultancy, providing integrated technical,

commercial and project management

support services in the fields of

geoscience, engineering and HS&E to

the energy sector. RPS operates from

regional offices in the UK, Europe, North

America, Australia and Asia.

RPS helps its clients develop natural

energy resources across the entire

asset life cycle, combining our technical

and commercial skills with a broad

understanding of environmental issues.

We have an annual portfolio of over 500

projects, in over 100 countries, for over

100 clients.

Evaluate & Plan Develop Produce Optimise

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For more information about our Energy Services please contact:Gordon Taylor (Director, Head of Subsurface) on 01491 415400 gordon.taylor@rpsgroup.com

For more information about our Planning and EIA Services please contact: Jenka Kaslik (Technical Director) on 01291 621821 kaslikJ@rpsgroup.comor Alastair Scott (Principal Consultant) on 01291 621821 alastair.scott@rpsgroup.com

For more information about our Civils Design, Technical Support and Project Management Services please contact:Jason Tose (Director of Engineering) on 01291 621821 tosej@rpsgroup.com

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