A wonderful example of the unbounded middle.  In situ coal gasification is a perfectly respectable method of converting coal into city gas by forcing oxygen and steam into a coal seam and setting it alight; causing the coal to burn and reduce into methane and other usable gases.  It's shown promise and has even been exploited on a small scale on occasion, though it has had some problems in being scaled up.  But that didn't stop prophets of the 1950s from turning this into the ultimate in energy self sufficiency in the 21^st century.  Worried about dwindling natural gas reserves and dependence on imports?  No problem!  Just sink a shaft into a convenient coal seam near your city (There's always one close by, right?), hook up the inlet and outlet pipes, drop a thermite bomb, slam the hatch fast, and voila!  Gas just flows out unbidden as from an energy cornucopia; as neat and tidy as any technophile would wish.  

Just try to avoid reading any stories of the Centralia, Penn. coal mine fire.

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