scholarly journals CBM exploration: Permeability of coal owing to cleat and connected fracture

2021 ◽  
pp. 014459872110571
Author(s):  
Zhigang Du ◽  
Yawen Tao ◽  
Xiaodong Zhang ◽  
Wuxiu Ding ◽  
Qiang Huang
Keyword(s):  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Molecular Flow ◽  
Target Area ◽  
Reservoir Pressure ◽  
Gas Migration ◽  
Fracture Permeability ◽  
Klinkenberg Effect ◽  
Linear Flow ◽  
Cbm Production

Coalbed methane (CBM) resources cannot be efficiently explored and exploited without a robust understanding of the permeability of fracture-size heterogeneities in coal. In this study, two sister coal samples were imparted with pre-developed cleat and connected fractures, and the permeability of the coal samples was measured under different conditions of controlled confining and gas pressures. Furthermore, the implications of the results for CBM exploration and exploitation were discussed. The permeability of coal with cleat development ranged from 0.001–0.01 mD, indicating ultra-low permeability coal. The gas migration in this coal changed from a linear flow to a non-linear flow, with the increase in gas pressure (>1 MPa). Thus, the permeability of the coal initially increased and then decreased. However, the Klinkenberg effect does not exist in this ultralow-permeability coal. For the coal sample with connected fracture, permeability ranged from 0.1–10 mD, which is larger by hundred orders of magnitude than that of the sample with cleat. For this coal, with a decrease in gas pressure (<1 MPa), the Klinkenberg effect significantly increased the permeability of the coal. With an increase in the applied confining pressure, both the Klinkenberg coefficient and permeability of the coal presented a decreasing trend. It is suggested that field fracture investigation is a prerequisite and indispensable step for successful CBM production. The coal beds that cleat network is well conductive to the connected fracture can be an improved target area for CBM production. During CBM production, a variety of flow regimes are available owing to the decrease in CBM reservoir pressure. In particular, under the low CBM reservoir pressure and low in situ geo-stress conditions, the gas migration in the CBM reservoir with connected facture development exhibits remarkable free-molecular flow. Thus, the reservoir permeability and predicted CBM production will be enhanced.

Impact of Various Parameters on the Production of Coalbed Methane

SPE Journal ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (05) ◽  
pp. 910-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongwei Chen ◽  
Jishan Liu ◽  
Akim Kabir ◽  
Jianguo Wang ◽  
Zhejun Pan
Keyword(s):  
Time Constant ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Fracture Permeability ◽  
Permeability Model ◽  
Gas Desorption ◽  
Desorption Time ◽  
Matrix Blocks ◽  
Cbm Production

Summary Coalbed-methane (CBM) reservoirs are naturally fractured formations, comprising both permeable fractures and matrix blocks. The interaction between fractures and matrix presents a great challenge for the forecast of CBM reservoir performance. In this work, a dual-permeability model was applied to study the parameter sensitivity on the CBM production, because the dual-permeability model incorporates not only the influence from matrix and fractures but also that between adjacent matrix blocks. The mass exchange between two systems is defined as a function of desorption time constant at the standard condition, coal matrix porosity, and the difference of gas pressure between two systems. Correspondingly, gas diffusivity in matrix is considered as a variable and represented by a function of shape factor, gas desorption time, and reservoir pressure. These relations are integrated into a fully coupled numerical model of coal geomechanical deformation and gas desorption/gas flow in both systems. This numerical approach demonstrates the important nonlinear effects of the complex interaction between matrix and fractures on CBM production behaviors that cannot be recovered without rigorously incorporating geomechanical influences. This model was then used to investigate the sensitivity of CBM extraction behavior to different controlling factors, including gas desorption time constant, initial fracture permeability, fracture spacing, swelling capacity, desorption capacity, production pressure, and fracture and matrix porosities. Modeling results show that the peak magnitudes of gas-production rate increase with initial fracture permeability, sorption and swelling capacities, and matrix porosity, and decrease with gas desorption time constant and production pressure. These results also show dramatic increase in gas-production efficiency with decreasing magnitudes of fracture spacing. The comparison of the transient contributions of the desorbed gas and the free phase gas from the matrix system to gas production shows that the free phase gas plays the dominant role at the early stage, but diminishes when the adsorption phase gas takes over the dominant role, indicating the necessity of incorporating free phase gas impact in simulation models. The numerical model was also applied to match the history data from a gas-production well. A better matching result than that for the single-permeability model demonstrates the potential capability of the dual-permeability model for the forecast of CBM production.

Relation between coalbed permeability and in-situ stress magnitude for coalbed methane exploration in Jharia and Raniganj coalfields, India

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (10) ◽  
pp. 800-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rima Chatterjee ◽  
Suman Paul ◽  
Prabir Kumar Pal
Keyword(s):  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
History Matching ◽  
Horizontal Stress ◽  
In Situ Stress ◽  
Gas Content ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Reservoir Pressure ◽  
Horizontal Drilling ◽  
Cbm Production

India is among the top five countries in the world in terms of proven coal reserves and coal production. As such, significant potential exists for commercial recovery of coalbed methane (CBM). Two coalfields, Jharia and Raniganj, located in eastern India are currently under development for CBM. This paper describes work done to determine coal seam properties, ambient stress conditions, and effects of depletion at these coalfields that influence CBM production. Coalbed permeability is a parameter that has a major influence on CBM production. Other influences include in-situ stress direction, gas content, and the application of suitable stimulation techniques. A robust methodology is required to determine both initial coalbed permeability and its relation to in-situ horizontal stress magnitudes. Coalbed permeability at the Jharia and Raniganj coalfields was estimated from porosity and known cleat spacing. Initial permeability of major coalbeds was correlated with effective horizontal stress, yielding satisfactory to very good exponential fit using data from Raniganj and Jharia wells. Acoustic televiewer image-logging tool measurements in a single well in the Jharia coalfield were used to infer a maximum horizontal stress orientation between N25°W and N25°E. Reservoir-pressure-dependent permeability models are presented for coalbeds under uniaxial strain condition. The coalbed permeability is dominated by the existing effective horizontal stresses normal to the cleats. Two prospective coal seams from Jharia have been identified through assessment of the response of horizontal stress to the decline of CBM reservoir pressure. Coalbed permeability increases with the drawdown of reservoir pressure and is exponentially related to the change of effective horizontal stress during reservoir depletion. The results of this study are to be used for production history matching for wells in Jharia and to determine optimal horizontal drilling directions for increased CBM production.

scholarly journals Coupled Effects of Stress, Moisture Content and Gas Pressure on the Permeability Evolution of Coal Samples: A Case Study of the Coking Coal Resourced from Tunlan Coalmine

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 1653
Author(s):  
Guofu Li ◽  
Yi Wang ◽  
Junhui Wang ◽  
Hongwei Zhang ◽  
Wenbin Shen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Gas Permeability ◽  
Axial Stress ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Pressure Curve ◽  
Permeability Evolution ◽  
Confining Stress ◽  
Qinshui Basin ◽  
Gas Seepage

Deep coalbed methane (CBM) is widely distributed in China and is mainly commercially exploited in the Qinshui basin. The in situ stress and moisture content are key factors affecting the permeability of CH4-containing coal samples. Therefore, considering the coupled effects of compressing and infiltrating on the gas permeability of coal could be more accurate to reveal the CH4 gas seepage characteristics in CBM reservoirs. In this study, coal samples sourced from Tunlan coalmine were employed to conduct the triaxial loading and gas seepage tests. Several findings were concluded: (1) In this triaxial test, the effect of confining stress on the permeability of gas-containing coal samples is greater than that of axial stress. (2) The permeability versus gas pressure curve of coal presents a ‘V’ shape evolution trend, in which the minimum gas permeability was obtained at a gas pressure of 1.1MPa. (3) The gas permeability of coal samples decreased exponentially with increasing moisture content. Specifically, as the moisture content increasing from 0.18% to 3.15%, the gas permeability decreased by about 70%. These results are expected to provide a foundation for the efficient exploitation of CBM in Qinshui basin.

scholarly journals Numerical Modeling of Water and Gas Transport in Compacted GMZ Bentonite under Constant Volume Condition

Geofluids ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Jiang-Feng Liu ◽  
Xu-Lou Cao ◽  
Hong-Yang Ni ◽  
Kai Zhang ◽  
Zhi-Xiao Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Transport ◽  
Water Saturation ◽  
Underground Water ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Constant Volume ◽  
Gmz Bentonite ◽  
Gas Migration ◽  
Sealing Ability ◽  
High Level

During deep geological disposal of high-level and long-lived radioactive waste, underground water erosion into buffer materials, such as bentonite, and gas production around the canister are unavoidable. Therefore, understanding water and gas migration into buffer materials is important when it comes to determining the sealing ability of engineered barriers in deep geological repositories. The main aim of our study is to provide insights into the water/gas transport in a compacted bentonite sample under constant volume conditions. The results of our study indicate that water saturation is obtained after 450 hours, which is similar to experimental results. Gas migration testing shows that the degree of water saturation in the samples is very sensitive to the gas pressure. As soon as 2 MPa or higher gas pressure was applied, the water saturation degree decreased quickly. Laboratory experiments indicate that gas breakthrough occurs at 4 MPa, with water being expelled from the downstream side. This indicates that gas pressure has a significant effect on the sealing ability of Gaomizozi (GMZ) bentonite.

scholarly journals Experimental and Simulation Studies on Adsorption and Diffusion Characteristics of Coalbed Methane

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 3445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donghyeon Kim ◽  
Youngjin Seo ◽  
Juhyun Kim ◽  
Jeongmin Han ◽  
Youngsoo Lee
Keyword(s):  
Specific Surface ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Specific Surface Area ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Equilibrium Time ◽  
Diffusion Characteristics ◽  
Adsorbed Methane ◽  
Cbm Production ◽  
Lump Coal ◽  
And Diffusion

Coalbed methane (CBM) content is generally estimated using the isotherm theory between pressure and adsorbed amounts of methane. It usually determines the maximum content of adsorbed methane or storage capacity. However, CBM content obtained via laboratory experiment is not consistent with that in the in-situ state because samples are usually ground, which changes the specific surface area. In this study, the effect of the specific surface area relative to CBM content was investigated, and diffusion coefficients were estimated using equilibrium time analysis. The differences in adsorbed content with sample particle size allowed the determination of a specific surface area where gases can adsorb. Also, there was an equilibrium time difference between fine and lump coal, because more time is needed for the gas to diffuse through the coal matrix and adsorb onto the surface in lump coal. Based on this, we constructed a laboratory-scale simulation model, which matched with experimental results. Consequently, the diffusion coefficient, which is usually calculated through canister testing, can be easily obtained. These results stress that lump coal experiments and associated simulations are necessary for more reliable CBM production analysis.

scholarly journals Model development and analysis of coal permeability based on the equivalent characteristics of dual-porosity structure

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 313-327
Author(s):  
Haijun Guo ◽  
Kai Wang ◽  
Yuanping Cheng ◽  
Liang Yuan ◽  
Chao Xu
Keyword(s):  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Gas Pressure ◽  
Dual Porosity ◽  
Permeability Evolution ◽  
Evolution Law ◽  
Fracture Width ◽  
Coal Permeability ◽  
Porosity Structure ◽  
Gas Seepage

Abstract Mining is a dynamic fracture process of coal and/or rock. The structural failure of coal bodies will change the coal matrix-fracture characteristics and then affect the distribution characteristics of the coalbed methane (CBM). Because of the structural complexity of coal, the coal matrices and fractures will be assumed to the geometries with rule shapes when the gas seepage characteristics in coals are analyzed. The size of the simplified geometries is the equivalent scale of dual-porosity coal structures (i.e. the equivalent fracture width and equivalent matrix scale). In this paper, according to the reasonable assumptions with regarding to dual-porosity coal structures, a new coal permeability evolution model based on the equivalent characteristics of dual-porosity structure (ECDP model) was built and the effect of the equivalent characteristics of dual-porosity structure on the coal permeability evolution law was analyzed. It is observed that if the initial fracture porosity is constant and the equivalent matrix scale increases, the range in which the permeability of coal rises with rising gas pressure increases; if the equivalent fracture width decreases and the equivalent matrix scale is constant, the range in which the permeability of coal rises with rising gas pressure decreases. The ECDP model is more suitable for revealing the evolution law of the coal permeability when large deformations occur in the coal bodies and/or the coal structure is damaged irreversibly, especially during enhancing CBM recovery.

scholarly journals A Discrete Fracture Modeling Approach for Analysis of Coalbed Methane and Water Flow in a Fractured Coal Reservoir

Geofluids ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Tianran Ma ◽  
Hao Xu ◽  
Chaobin Guo ◽  
Xuehai Fu ◽  
Weiqun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Fluid Transport ◽  
Fracture Model ◽  
Phase Flow ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Discrete Fracture Model ◽  
Discrete Fracture ◽  
Fractured Coal ◽  
Cbm Production

As a complex two-phase flow in naturally fractured coal formations, the prediction and analysis of CBM production remain challenging. This study presents a discrete fracture approach to modeling coalbed methane (CBM) and water flow in fractured coal reservoirs, particularly the influence of fracture orientation, fracture density, gravity, and fracture skeleton on fluid transport. The discrete fracture model is first verified by two water-flooding cases with multi- and single-fracture configurations. The verified model is then used to simulate CBM production from a discrete fractured reservoir using four different fracture patterns. The results indicate that fluid behavior is significantly affected by orientation, density, and fracture connectivity. Finally, several cases are performed to investigate the influence of gravity and fracture skeleton. The simulation results show that gas migrates upwards to the top reservoir during fluid extraction owing to buoyancy and the connected fracture skeleton plays a dominant role in fluid transport and methane production efficiency. Overall, the developed discrete fracture model provides a powerful tool to study two-phase flow in fractured coal reservoirs.

scholarly journals Quantitative optimization of drainage strategy of coalbed methane well based on the dynamic behavior of coal reservoir permeability

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinlu Yan ◽  
Songhang Zhang ◽  
Shuheng Tang ◽  
Zhongcheng Li ◽  
Qian Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
Dynamic Behavior ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Coalbed Methane ◽  
Single Phase ◽  
Reservoir Permeability ◽  
Geological Conditions ◽  
Cbm Production ◽  
Coal Reservoir ◽  
Flow Stage

AbstractThe development of coalbed methane (CBM) is not only affected by geological factors, but also by engineering factors, such as artificial fracturing and drainage strategies. In order to optimize drainage strategies for wells in unique geological conditions, the characteristics of different stages of CBM production are accurately described based on the dynamic behavior of the pressure drop funnel and coal reservoir permeability. Effective depressurization is achieved by extending the pressure propagation radius and gas desorption radius to the well-controlled boundary, in the single-phase water flow stage and the gas–water flow stage, respectively, with inter-well pressure interference accomplished in the single-phase gas flow stage. A mathematic model was developed to quantitatively optimize drainage strategies for each stage, with the maximum bottom hole flow pressure (BHFP) drop rate and the maximum daily gas production calculated to guide the optimization of CBM production. Finally, six wells from the Shizhuangnan Block in the southern Qinshui Basin of China were used as a case study to verify the practical applicability of the model. Calculation results clearly indicate the differences in production characteristics as a result of different drainage strategies. Overall, if the applied drainage strategies do not achieve optimal drainage results, the coal reservoir could be irreversibly damaged, which is not conducive to expansion of the pressure drop funnel. Therefore, this optimization model provides valuable guidance for rational CBM drainage strategy development and efficient CBM production.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document