Sorption-Induced Permeability Change of Coal During Gas-Injection Processes

Summary Our study has two features. First, laboratory experiments measured the change of the permeability of coal samples as a function of pore pressure and injected-gas composition at constant effective stress. Second, adsorption-solution theory described adsorption equilibria and aided interpretation. The gases tested include pure methane (CH4), nitrogen (N2), and carbon dioxide (CO2), as well as binary mixtures of N2 and CO2 of different compositions. The coal pack was initially dry and free of gas, then saturated by each test gas at a series of increasing pore pressures at a constant effective stress until steady state was reached. Thus, the amount of adsorption varied, while the effective stress was held constant. Results show that, (i) permeability decreases with an increase of pore pressure at fixed injection-gas composition, and, (ii) permeability change is a function of the injected-gas composition. As the concentration of CO2 in the injection gas increases, the permeability of the coal decreases. Pure CO2 leads to the greatest permeability reduction among all the test gases. However, 10 to 20% by mole of N2 helps to preserve permeability significantly. According to the mixed-gas adsorption isotherms, adsorption and the selectivity of a particular gas species on coal surfaces is a function of pressure and the gas composition. Therefore, we conclude that loading coal surfaces with adsorbed gas at constant effective stress causes permeability reduction. Finally, gas adsorption and permeability of coal are correlated, simply to extend the usefulness of study results. Introduction Coalbed methane (CBM) has grown to supply approximately 10% of US natural-gas production and is becoming important worldwide as an energy source (EIA 2006). Conventional CBM-recovery procedures stimulate wells and produce CH4 by depressurizing the coalbed. A full understanding of the mechanisms underlying CBM production has yet to be established. Injection of CO2, N2, or mixtures of the two gases enhances CBM recovery significantly (Stevens et al. 1998; Stevens 2001). Coalbeds also present a potential sink for greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as CO2. One issue of particular interest for CO2 injection, and the subject of our study, is the sensitivity of coal permeability to the partial pressure of CO2 in the injection gas.