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The world's ninth largest coal producer, Ukraine has experienced a precipitous decline in coal production since 1990. Ukraine's annual coal production has stabilized at approximately 80 million raw metric tonnes in recent years. The state owns the coal mines and resources, including methane, but many successful mines are leased. In 2000, Ukraine had 232 active coal mines, all but three of which were underground. Most mines use longwall production. Ukraine has two main bituminous coal basins, the Donetsk in the southeast and the Lvov-Volyn in the northwest.
Ukraine is the world's fourth largest emitter of methane emissions from coal mining activities (31.9 million metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2000). Most of the attention to coal mine methane (CMM) development has been focused on the Donetsk basin due to its vast coal and methane reserves, large number of coal mines, high ranked coal deposits, and great depth of mining (often in excess of 2000 feet). Only about 4% of CMM liberated in Ukraine is used, presenting ample opportunities for coalbed and coal mine methane development.
More information on Ukraine's coal mine methane >> (9 pp, 366K, About PDF) 
EPA supports a Coal Mine/Coalbed Methane Clearinghouse in Ukraine. The Clearinghouse is managed by Partnership for Energy and Environmental Reform (PEER) , based in Donetsk. PEER promotes the commercial development of CMM projects in Ukraine.