Raman spectroscopy is being employed to assess coal seams in Australia by WellDog, headquartered in Laramie, Wyoming, USA, which has put into service next generation versions of its Reservoir Raman Spectroscopy systems. The company specialises in analysing reservoirs for coal, gas, alternative and conventional resources. The Raman spectroscopy technology is expected to see continued growth with the increased demand for energy resources worldwide.
The new systems, which employ Semrock’s RazorEdge filters, have been specifically designed for the more challenging environments common to coal seams in Australia and emerging markets worldwide. They provide a tenfold increase in sensitivity and speed, with a methane gas detection limit of to 0.1 cubic metres per tonne of coal. They are capable of operating at full rating at more than 65 °C and show a four-fold increase in resiliency to suspended particulates.
'As our GasMapper underground coal mine gas detection service gains market traction we are seeing increased demand for sensor systems that are more sensitive, more resilient to coal fines, and narrower in footprint,' said Dr John M. Pope, president and CEO of WellDog. 'Our Laramie R&D team staff has been working to meet those demands, and these new systems are the first product of that effort.'
'These systems represent the pinnacle of harsh-environment Raman spectroscopy sensing,' said Quentin Morgan, CTO of WellDog. 'The new systems not only provide better sensing performance but they are more ruggedized and reliable than previous generations.'
