Coal Seam Permeability Improvement and CBM Production Enhancement by Enlarged Borehole: Mechanism and Application

The permeability is a key factor to determine the efficiency of coalbed methane(CBM)production.The borehole enlargement technology using hydraulic and mechanical measures to cut coal is an effective method to increase the coal seam permeability and improve the efficiency of gas drainage.Reasonable design of the layout of boreholes is the prerequisite for efficient and economical gas drainage.In this paper,based on the strain-softening model,the stress and permeability model of the coal seam around the enlarged borehole was built,and based on the dual-medium model,the gas migration model in the coal seam was established.Then the borehole enlargement gas drainage engineering of E9/10 coal seam in Pingdingshan No.8 coal mine was simulated by using COMSOL Multiphysics software.The distribution of stress and permeability in the coal seam around a borehole was analyzed,and the reasonable borehole radius of 0.25 m and reasonable borehole spacing of 6 m were determined.Finally,in Pingdingshan No.8 coal mine,field application was carried out in E9/10 coal seam-21070 working face from the high-level gas drainage roadway.The results show that the actual average coal slag discharge rate is 77.82%,which achieved borehole enlargement.The natural gas flow rate from an enlarged borehole is 2.3–7.3 times that of a normal borehole,and the influence range of enlarged boreholes is more than 6 m.The average gas drainage concentration of a group of enlarged boreholes is about 42%,and the average gas drainage amount is about 0.53 m3/min.After two months of gas extraction,the outburst risk in this area was eliminated,which provides a guarantee for safe coal mining.

Experimental study on effects of CBM temperature-rising desorption

To study the effects of CBM （coal bed methane） temperature-rising desorption, isothermal adsorption/desorption experiments on three ranks （anthracite, coking coal and lignite） of coal at different temperatures were designed based on the traditional CBM decompression desorption. The experimental results indicate that temperature-rising desorption is more effec- tive in high-rank coal, and ever-increasing temperature of high-rank coal reservoir can reduce the negative effects of coal ma- trix shrinkage in the process of production and improve the permeability of the coal reservoir as well. It is also revealed that the technique of temperature-rising desorption applied in higher-rank coal reservoir can enhance CBM recovery ratio. This study provided theoretical support for the application of temperature-rising desorption technique in practical discharging and mining projects, which can effectively tackle the gas production bottleneck problem.

CO2 Storage Mechanism in Coal and its Effect on Methane Production in Enhanced Coalbed Methane Recovery

In this study, we provided more theoretical method for estimation of dissolution amount and applied this method to enhanced coalbed methane recovery （ECBMR） simulator. Dissolution amount was measured by method of differential heat of adsorption. Akabira coal, a Japanese bituminous coal, was used for the experiment. The results showed that CO2 was stored in coal by both adsorption and dissolution. Using this result the methane production was calculated by ECBMR-simulator, enhanced coalbed methane recovery simulator, the University of Tokyo （ECOMERS-UT）. Total stored CO2 was separated into adsorption component and dissolution component. Only the former component contributes to the competitive adsorption. Coalbed methane （CBM） production simulation considering the dissolution showed later and smaller peak production and prolonged methane production before the breakthrough than the conventional competitive adsorption.

Characteristics of dissolved inorganic carbon in produced water from coalbed methane wells and its geological significance

Based on long-term dynamic tracing of dissolved inorganic carbon(DIC)and stable carbon isotope(δ13CDIC)in produced water from 20 coalbed methane(CBM)wells in western Guizhou,the spatial-temporal dynamic variations ofδ13CDIC of the GP well group produced in multi-layer commingled manner were analyzed,and the relationship between the value ofδ13CDIC and CBM productivity was examined.The produced water samples of typical wells in the GP well group were amplified and sequenced using 16S rDNA,and a geological response model ofδ13CDIC in produced water from CBM wells with multi-coal seams was put forward.The research shows that:δ13CDIC in produced water from medium-rank coal seams commonly show positive anomalies,the produced water contains more than 15 species of methanogens,and Methanobacterium is the dominant genus.The dominant methanogens sequence numbers in the produced water are positively correlated withδ13CDIC,and the positive anomaly of v is caused by reduction of methanogens,and especially hydrogenotrophic methanogens.Vertical segmentation of sedimentary facies and lithology in stratum with multi-coal seams will result in permeability and water cut segmentation,which will lead to the segmentation ofδ13CDIC and archaea community in produced water,so in the strata with better permeability and high water cut,theδ13CDIC of the produced water is abnormally enriched,and the dominant archaea is mainly Methanobacterium.In the strata with weak permeability and low water cut,theδ13CDIC of the produced water is small,and the microbial action is weak.The shallow layer close to the coal seam outcrop is likely to be affected by meteoric precipitation,so theδ13CDIC of the produced water is smaller.The geological response model ofδ13CDIC in produced water from multi-coal seams CBM wells in the medium-rank coal reveals the geological mechanism and microbial action mechanism of theδ13CDIC difference in the produced water from the multi-coal seams CBM wells.It also provides effective geochemical evidence for the superimposed fluid system controlled by sedimentary facies,and can also be used for the contribution analysis of the produced gas and water by the multi-layer CBM wells.

Geochemical characteristics of produced fluids from CBM wells and their indicative significance for gas accumulation in Daning-Jixian block,Ordos Basin

The Daning-Jixian block,the eastern edge of the Ordos Basin,is one of the most potential areas for CO_(2)geological storage,enhanced coalbed methane recovery(ECBM)exploration and production in China in recent decades.The ionic composition and total dissolved solids(TDS)of the produced water,coal organic matter maturity,molecular composition and carbon isotope characteristics of the produced gas were utilized to analyze the hydrogeological condition,CBM generation and migration characteristics in this area.The CBM enrichment patterns and the geological impacts on gas well production characteristics were revealed.The optimal area for CBM development and CO_(2)geological storage in the study area were also proposed.Dominated by the Xueguan reverse fault zone,the hydraulic unit in this area can be divided into two parts(i.e.,the recharge-runoff zone in the east and the weak runoff-stagnation zone in the west).The thermogenic gas is dominating CBM genesis in this area.Secondary biogenic gas replenishment is only distributed in the eastern margin area,where theδ13C1 value is less than the thermal simulation results as an influence of hydrodynamic fractionation.Finally,two models of CBM formation and accumulation were proposed,1)thermogenic CBM migrated by hydrodynamic and resorbed for preservation at impermeable fault boundaries;2)thermogenic CBM trapped by fault and accumulated by hydrodynamic in slope zone.The gas production performance,generally increased from east to west,is mainly dominated by hydrogeological conditions.Generally,the west side of the fault zone is the enrichment and high-yield area for ECBM development and CO_(2)geological storage in the study area.

Multi-stage gas diffusion and its implications for the productivity of coalbed methane in the southern Qinshui Basin, north China

The behavior of coalbed methane(CBM)diffusion considerably influences gas productivity.Based on the multi-porous diffusion model and on-site CBM desorption data of coal cores,the behavior of CBM diffusion and its implications on the gas productivity of No.3 coal seam in the southern Qinshui Basin(SQB)were elaborately analyzed.Results indicate that CBM diffusion of No.3 coal seam demonstrates noticeable three-stage characteristics,including the fast diffusion,transitional diffusion,and slow diffusion stages.During the gas diffusion process,the gas content and/or the degree of developed pores and fractures/cleats in coal seams can affect the desorption of CBM and the amount of diffused CBM by influencing the changes in gas pressure in pores,thus controlling the behavior of gas diffusion in different stages.Because gas content and the developed degree of pores and fractures/cleats are closely associated with the deformation degree of the coal seams,variably deformed coal seams exhibit unique characteristics of gas diffusion.The low-deformation degree of the coal seams have a relatively uniform distribution of gas production over the history of a well.By contrast,the moderate-deformation degree of the coal seams have a relatively high rate and amount of gas diffusion in the fast and transitional diffusion stages,producing most of the gas in the early-to-intermediate stages of the wells.Finally,the high-deformation degree of the coal seams has a high rate and amount in the fast diffusion stage,indicating that most of the production stage occurs during the early stage of the gas production history of a well.In summary,the behavior of gas diffusion can be used for predicting gas production potential.