Characteristics of in-situ stress and its controls on coalbed methane development in the southeastern Qinshui Basin,North China

In-situ stress is a key reservoir parameter to evaluate reservoir permeability,hydraulic fractures,coal seam deformation and coalbed methane(CBM)recovery.With limited CBM test wells in the Zhengzhuang field,southeast of the Qinshui basin,North China,the in-situ stress data is inadequate for CBM exploration and development.It is necessary to find a method to predicate in-situ stress through other exploration data such as geophysical well loggings.In this study,we provide a new well-logging databased model to predicate the in-situ stress based on 17 sets of well test data and comprehensive logging data.As a distinguished characteristic of this model,different structural compartmentalization of CBM reservoirs was considered.A regional adaptive residual strain index was introduced to the model.Based on the model,the in-situ stress distribution in the Zhengzhuang field were evaluated systematically,and the influences of in-situ stress on permeability and the propagation of hydro-fractures were discussed.Results indicate that the magnitude of the maximum(S_(Hmax),14.19e45.40 MPa)and minimum horizontal stresses(Shmin,10.62e28.38 MPa)and the gravitational stress(Sv,9.58e30.82 MPa)all show positive correlations with burial depths.The in-situ stress fields in the study area are characterized by 1)SHmax>Sv>Shmin in shallow layers(<700 m),indicating a dominant strike-slip faulting stress regime;2)Sv z S_(Hmax)>S_(hmin)and S_(Hmax)>Sv>S_(hmin)in the depth of 700e1050 m,suggesting a transformed regime;and 3)S_(Hmax)>Sv>S_(hmin)in deep layers(>1050 m),indicating a strike-slip faulting stress regime.The S_(Hmax)in the study area is orientated by NE-SW,with a trend of 40e49.Resulted from the change of the in-situ stress regimes from shallow(500 m)to deep layers(~1000 m),the reservoir permeability variation shows a typical increase followed by decrease.The presence of natural fractures significantly affect the propagation pattern of hydraulic fractures,and the length difference between the major and branch fractures increases with increasing stress anisotropy in the Zhengzhuang field.

Analysis of the visible fracture system of coalseam in Chengzhuang Coalmine of Jincheng City,Shanxi Province

In No. 3 coalseam of Chengzhuang Coalmine of Jincheng City, there exists the visible fracture system consisting of joints, gas-expanding fractures and cleats. The gas-expanding fractures develop mainly in the bright coal sub-layer and cleats, in the vitrain and bright coal. The joints fall into two types, one developing in the coalseam and the other cutting through the whole coalseam and entering into the top and bottom rock layer. The development direction of joints is basically similar to that of gas-expanding fractures: NNE and NNW. The formation of the visible fracture system is classified as the stage of the development of cleat fissures in the coalification period, the stage of the full development of cleats and the formation of gas-expanding fractures in the second coalification period and the stage of the formation of joints by structural function. There is the spatial unhomoge-neity in three dimensions for the visible fracture system of the coal seam in Chengzhuang Coalmine: the regular distribution of the visible fractures as groups in the plane and the coal sub-layer with high permeability rate in profile. The research findings of the visible fracture system of coal seam can be applied to the drilling of the coalbed methane and to heightening the let-off efficiency of coalseam gas.