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.

Extreme massive hydraulic fracturing in deep coalbed methane horizontal wells:A case study of the Linxing Block,eastern Ordos Basin,NW China

Deep coal seams show low permeability,low elastic modulus,high Poisson’s ratio,strong plasticity,high fracture initiation pressure,difficulty in fracture extension,and difficulty in proppants addition.We proposed the concept of large-scale stimulation by fracture network,balanced propagation and effective support of fracture network in fracturing design and developed the extreme massive hydraulic fracturing technique for deep coalbed methane(CBM)horizontal wells.This technique involves massive injection with high pumping rate+high-intensity proppant injection+perforation with equal apertures and limited flow+temporary plugging and diverting fractures+slick water with integrated variable viscosity+graded proppants with multiple sizes.The technique was applied in the pioneering test of a multi-stage fracturing horizontal well in deep CBM of Linxing Block,eastern margin of the Ordos Basin.The injection flow rate is 18 m^(3)/min,proppant intensity is 2.1 m^(3)/m,and fracturing fluid intensity is 16.5 m^(3)/m.After fracturing,a complex fracture network was formed,with an average fracture length of 205 m.The stimulated reservoir volume was 1987×10^(4)m^(3),and the peak gas production rate reached 6.0×10^(4)m^(3)/d,which achieved efficient development of deep CBM.

A dynamic evaluation technique for assessing gas output from coal seams during commingling production within a coalbed methane well: a case study from the Qinshui Basin

Gas drainage is carried out based on output from each coal bed throughout commingling production of coalbed methane(CBM).A reasonable drainage process should therefore initially guarantee main coal bed production and then enhance gas output from other beds.Permanent damage can result if this is not the case,especially with regard to fracture development in the main gas-producing coal bed and can greatly reduce single well output.Current theoretical models and measuring devices are inapplicable to commingled CBM drainage,however,and so large errors in predictive models cannot always be avoided.The most effective currently available method involves directly measuring gas output from each coal bed as well as determining the dominant gas-producing unit.A dynamic evaluation technique for gas output from each coal bed during commingling CBM production is therefore proposed in this study.This technique comprises a downhole measurement system combined with a theoretical calculation model.Gas output parameters(i.e.,gas-phase flow rate,temperature,pressure)are measured in this approach via a downhole measurement system;substituting these parameters into a deduced theoretical calculation model then means that gas output from each seam can be calculated to determine the main gas-producing unit.Trends in gas output from a single well or each seam can therefore be predicted.The laboratory and field test results presented here demonstrate that calculation errors in CBM outputs can be controlled within a margin of 15%and therefore conform with field use requirements.

Fracture prediction method for deep coalbed methane reservoirs based on seismic texture attributes

Deep coalbed methane(CBM)resources are enormous and have become a hot topic in the unconventional exploration and development of natural gas.The fractures in CBM reservoirs are important channels for the storage and migration of CBM and control the high production and enrichment of CBM.Therefore,fracture prediction in deep CBM reservoirs is of great significance for the exploration and development of CBM.First,the basic principles of calculating texture attributes by gray-level cooccurrence matrix(GLCM)and gray-level run-length matrix(GLRLM)were introduced.A geological model of the deep CBM reservoirs with fractures was then constructed and subjected to seismic forward simulation.The seismic texture attributes were extracted using the GLCM and GLRLM.The research results indicate that the texture attributes calculated by both methods are responsive to fractures,with the 45°and 135°gray level inhomogeneity texture attributes based on the GLRLM showing better identification effects for fractures.Fracture prediction of a deep CBM reservoir in the Ordos Basin was carried out based on the GLRLM texture attributes,providing an important basis for the efficient development and utilization of deep CBM.

Excess pore pressure behavior and evolution in deep coalbed methane reservoirs

Deep coalbed methane(DCBM),an unconventional gas reservoir,has undergone significant advancements in recent years,sparking a growing interest in assessing pore pressure dynamics within these reservoirs.While some production data analysis techniques have been adapted from conventional oil and gas wells,there remains a gap in the understanding of pore pressure generation and evolution,particularly in wells subjected to large-scale hydraulic fracturing.To address this gap,a novel technique called excess pore pressure analysis(EPPA)has been introduced to the coal seam gas industry for the first time to our knowledge,which employs dual-phase flow principles based on consolidation theory.This technique focuses on the generation and dissipation for excess pore-water pressure(EPWP)and excess pore-gas pressure(EPGP)in stimulated deep coal reservoirs.Equations have been developed respectively and numerical solutions have been provided using the finite element method(FEM).Application of this model to a representative field example reveals that excess pore pressure arises from rapid loading,with overburden weight transferred under undrained condition due to intense hydraulic fracturing,which significantly redistributes the weight-bearing role from the solid coal structure to the injected fluid and liberated gas within artificial pores over a brief timespan.Furthermore,field application indicates that the dissipation of EPWP and EPGP can be actually considered as the process of well production,where methane and water are extracted from deep coalbed methane wells,leading to consolidation for the artificial reservoirs.Moreover,history matching results demonstrate that the excess-pressure model established in this study provides a better explanation for the declining trends observed in both gas and water production curves,compared to conventional practices in coalbed methane reservoir engineering and petroleum engineering.This research not only enhances the understanding of DCBM reservoir behavior but also offers insights applicable to production analysis in other unconventional resources reliant on hydraulic fracturing.

Optimum location of surface wells for remote pressure relief coalbed methane drainage in mining areas

Based on engineering tests in the Huainan coal mining area,we studied alternative well location to improve the performance of surface wells for remote pressure relief of coalbed methane in mining areas.The key factors,affecting location and well gas production were analyzed by simulation tests for similar material.The exploitation results indicate that wells located in various positions on panels could achieve relatively better gas production in regions with thin Cenozoic layers,low mining heights and slow rate of longwall advancement,but their periods of gas production lasted less than 230 days,as opposed to wells in regions with thick Cenozoic layers,greater mining heights and fast rates of longwall advancement.Wells near panel margins achieved relatively better gas production and lasted longer than centerline wells.The rules of development of mining fractures in strata over panels control gas production of surface wells.Mining fractures located in areas determined by lines of compaction and the effect of mining are well developed and can be maintained for long periods of time.Placing the well at the end of panels and on the updip return airway side of panels,determined by lines of compaction and the effect of mining,would result in surface wells for remote pressure relief CBM obtaining their longest gas production periods and highest cumulative gas production.

Prediction of Flowing Bottomhole Pressures for Two-Phase Coalbed Methane Wells

A method is proposed to predict the flowing bottomhole pressures （FBHPs） for two-phase coalbed methane （CBM） wells. The mathematical models for both gas column pressure and two-phase fluid column pressure were developed based on the well liquid flow equation. FBHPs during the production were predicted by considering the effect of entrained liquid on gravitational gradients. Comparison of calculated BHPs by Cullender-Smith and proposed method was also studied. The results show that the proposed algorithm gives the desired accuracy of calculating BHPs in the low- productivity and low-pressure CBM wells. FBHP is resulted from the combined action of wellhead pressure, gas column pressure and fluid column pressure. Variation of kinetic energy term, compressibility and friction factors with depth increments and liquid holdup with velocity should be considered to simulate the real BHPs adequately. BHP is a function of depth of each column segment. The small errors of less than 1.5% between the calculated and measured values are obtained with each segment within 25 m. Adjusting BHPs can effectively increase production pressure drop, which is beneficial to CBM desorption and enhances reservoir productivity. The increment of pressure drop from 5.37 MPa2 to 8.66 MPa2 leads to an increase of CBM production from 3270 m3/d to 6700 m3/d and is attributed to a decrease in BHP from 2.25 MPa to 1.33 MPa.

Exploitation technology of pressure relief coalbed methane in vertical surface wells in the Huainan coal mining area

Exploitation technology of pressure relief coalbed methane in vertical surface wells is a new method for exploration of gas and coalbed methane exploitation in mining areas with high concentrations of gas, where tectonic coal developed. Studies on vertical surface well technology in the Huainan Coal Mining area play a role in demonstration in the use of clean, new energy resources, preventing and reducing coal mine gas accidents and protecting the environment. Based on the practice of gas drainage engineering of pressure relief coalbed methane in vertical surface wells and combined with relative geological and exploration en- gineering theories, the design principles of design and structure of wells of pressure relief coalbed methane in vertical surface wells are studied. The effects of extraction and their causes are discussed and the impact of geological conditions on gas production of the vertical surface wells are analyzed. The results indicate that in mining areas with high concentrations of gas, where tectonic coal developed, a success rate of pressure relief coalbed methane in surface vertical well is high and single well production usually great. But deformation due to coal exploitation could damage boreholes and cause breaks in the connection between aquifers and bore-holes, which could induce a decrease, even a complete halt in gas production of a single well. The design of well site location and wellbore configuration are the key for technology. The development of the geological conditions for coalbed methane have a significant effect on gas production of coalbed methane wells.

The coalbed methane production potential method for optimization of wells location selection

A gas production potential method for optimization of gas wellsite locations selection is proposed in terms of the coalbed gas resources volume and the recoverability. The method uses the actual data about reservoirs in a coalbed gas field in central China to optimize wellsite locations in the studied area in combination with the dynamic data about actual production in the coalbed gas field, selects a favorable subarea for gas wells deployment. The method is established based on the basic properties of coal reservoirs, in combination with the coalbed thickness and the gas content to make an analysis of the gas storage potential of a coal reservoir, as well as resources volume and the permeability of a coal reservoir. This method can be popularized for optimization of wellsite locations in other methane gas development areas or blocks.

Methods for simultaneously evaluating reserve and permeability of undersaturated coalbed methane reservoirs using production data during the dewatering stage

In this work,a flowing material balance equation(FMBE) is established for under saturated coalbed methane(CBM) reservoirs,which considers immobile free gas expansion effect at the dewatering stage.Based on the established FMBE,five straight-line methods are proposed to determine the control area,initial water reserve,initial free gas reserve,initial adsorbed gas reserve,original gas in place,as well as permeability at the same time.Subsequently,the proposed FMBE methods for undersaturated CBM reservoirs are validated against a reservoir simulation software with and without considering free gas expansion.Finally,the proposed methods are applied in a field case when considering free gas expansion effect.Validation cases show that the straight-line relationships for the proposed five FMBE methods are excellent,and good agreements are obtained among the actual reserves and permeabilities and those evaluated by the proposed five FMBE methods,indicating the proposed five FMBE methods are effective and rational for CBM reservoirs.Results show that a small amount of free gas will result in a great deviation in reserve evaluation;hence,the immobile free gas expansion effect should be considered when establishing the material balance equation of undersaturated CBM reservoirs at the dewatering stage.

Finite element analysis of high-pressure hose for radial horizontal wells in coalbed methane extraction

Based on the serial-parallel model of single-layer board and the lamination theory, the forces exerted on different layers of the high-pressure hose and the resulting deformations were analyzed when the hose was radially stretched. An equation was proposed to calculate the anisotropic elastic constant of the composite layer with the wound steel wires. Furthermore, the finite element analysis （FEA） model of the high-pressure hose was established, followed by a simulation of the forces that act on different layers, and their deformations. The simulation results show that the stress imposed on the inner reinforced layer and external reinforced layer of the high-pressure hose are approximately 150 MPa and 115 MPa, respectively, in the presence of inner pressure. The stress of the rubber coating and polyethylene coating is lower. The lowest stress occurs on the inner surface of the high-pressure hose and the rubber coating between the two composite layers. The deformation of the rubber layer in the inner surface of the high-pressure hose decreases gradually along the radial direction from the inner surface to the external surface. The deformation of the reinforced composite layer is less than that of the external surface of the rubber coating. The equivalent stress of the reinforced composite layer is higher than that caused by the inner pressure, due to the presence of both inner pressure and axial tension.

Direct Synthesis of Oxygenates from Water and Methane via Dielectric-barrier Discharge

In this investigation, a clean, atomic economic and direct synthesis of oxygenates (methanol, ethanol) form water and methane via dielectric-barrier discharge was developed at room temperature and under atmospheric pressure. The effect of discharge voltage on this process was studied. The results showed that the conversion of water can be as high as 7%, the selectivity of methanol and ethanol can be as high as 100%.

Construction of high-pressure adsorption isotherm:A tool for predicting coalbed methane recovery from Jharia coalfield,India

Adsorption isotherm relates the gas storage capacity as a function of pressure at constant temperature.In this paper,adsorption isotherm of two dry borehole samples was constructed in the laboratory using the manometric method.Isotherm was measured for two gases,i.e.,CH4 and CO2 to pressure up to 8.4 MPa.Before the construction of sorption isotherm,coal was characterized by proximate,ultimate and petrographic analysis.Coalbed gas content of these two samples was found 2.29 m3/t and 2.75 m3/t.SEM images were obtained for the pore size distribution of coal using pore image analysis.Prediction of coalbed methane recovery from CH4 adsorption isotherm showed that these coalbeds are under saturated.CO2 isotherm was constructed to estimate enhanced coalbed methane(ECBM)recovery.Volume wise CO2/CH4 sorption ratio was found 2.09 times to 2.75 times respectively.This paper presents the interpretation of isotherm data to find the recovery factor of methane production from Jharia coalfield.

Drainage feature about coalbed methane wells in different hydrogeological conditions in Fanzhuang area

It is an important guarantee to enhance the production of coalbed methane （CBM） and reduce the project invest- ment by finding out the drainage feature about CBM wells in different hydrogeological conditions. Based on the CBM explora- tion and development data on the Fanzhuang block in southeast Qinshui Basin and combined with the seepage principle and lithology on the roof and the bottom coalbed, the mathematical model of integrated permeability was established. By perme- ability experiments of the different lithologies on the roof and the floor within the 20 m range combined with the log curves, the integrated permeability of different lithological combinations were obtained. The starting pressure gradient and permeabi- lity of the roof and the floor for different lithologies was tested by ＂differential pressure-flow method＂. The relationships be- tween the starting pressure gradient and the integrated permeability were obtained. The critical distance of limestone water penetrating into coal reservoirs was calculated. According to the drainage feature of CBM wells combined with the drainage data of some CBM wells, the results show that, when limestone water can penetrate into coal reservoirs, the daily water production is high and the daily gas production is low although there is no gas at the beginning of the drainage process, the CBM wells stop discharging water within 6 months after the gas began to come out, and the gas production is steadily improved. When limestone water can not penetrate into coal reservoirs, the daily water production is low and the daily gas production is high at the beginning of the drainage process, and it almost stops discharging water after some time when the gas come out, the daily gas production increases, and the cumulative water production is much lower.

Influence of Drilling Fluid Components on Shear Strength at Cement-aquifuge Interface in Coalbed Methane Wells

The hydraulic fracturing is still an effective technology for the exploitation of coalbed methane （CBM）. However, after the hydraulic fracturing operation, the high water cut or sudden water flooding of CBM well usually occurs due to upward migration of bottom water, which is called water channeling （water inrush）. This problem has been severely limiting the hydraulic fracturing effect of CBM wells. Some studies show that the aquifuge and cement paste themselves will not crush under hydraulic fracturing pressure. Water channeling often occurs at cement- aquifuge interface （CAI）.

Exploring Win-Wins from Trade-Offs? Co-Benefits of Coalbed Methane Utilization for the Environment, Economy and Safety

With policy incentives for the coalbed methane in energy industry,coalbed methane from coal production has been effectively improved by technology innovations in coalbed methane extraction and utilization.The progress of coalbed methane promotes the clean construction of energy system and contributes to carbon neutrality target.To quantitatively measure the contributions of the coalbed methane in energy industry,this paper builds a carbon emissions accounting system for coalbed methane in China and assesses the historical co-benefits of coalbed methane utilization from the aspects of emissions reduction,safety and economy.By using the parameters of gas content,raw coal production,gas extraction rate and utilization rate over the years,emissions reduction potential and economic viability of coal seam gas are estimated and the safety benefits of coal mine gas extraction are analyzed by using data for gas accidents and economic losses.The results reveal that with the increase in raw coal production,the great emission reduction potential of coalbed methane is expected to benefit clean energy system and the development of carbon neutrality by means of policy incentives and technology innovations.The co-benefit evaluation indicates the huge profitability of coalbed methane from 2012 to 2015 and the significance of emissions reduction and safety gain internalization.Safety benefits are obvious in the negative exponential function between the annual drainage quantities of coalbed methane and annual death tolls from coal mine gas accidents.Based on these results,relevant suggestions are put forward for sustainable development of the coalbed methane in energy industry.

Methane Formation by the Reaction of Coalbed Carbon with Water

There is proposed a mechanism of methane and carbon dioxide formation by the direct reaction of carbon with water during catastrophic events in the mining of coal deposits. Thermodynamics of the reaction is dis-cussed.

Coalbed methane genesis, occurrence and accumulation in China

Coalbed methane （CBM） is an important type of unconventional gas. Commercial development of CBM in America has been very successful since the 1980s. The CBM industry in Australia and Canada has developed rapidly during the last decade. Commercial development of CBM in China started in the 1990s, and has made great progress. The geological theory of CBM in China has achieved great advancement in genesis, occurrence and accumulation. On the aspect of CBM genesis, five CBM genetic types （primary biogenic gas, secondary biogenic gas, thermal degradation gas, pyrolysis gas and mixed gas） are identified by studying the geochemical characteristics of CBM, and a tracing indicator system is established. The discovery of secondary biogenic gas in medium-high rank coal reservoirs has widened the potential of CBM resources. On the aspect of CBM occurrence, the gas adsorption regulation under combined action of temperature and pressure is revealed by conducting adsorption experiments of different coal ranks under varying temperature and pressure conditions. Besides, by applying the adsorption potential theory in CBM research, the adsorption model under combined action of temperature and pressure is established. The new model can predict CBM resources accurately, and overcome the limitation of the traditional Langmuir model which uses just a single factor to describe the adsorption characteristics of deep buried coal. On the aspect of CBM accumulation, it is proposed that there are three evolutionary stages during CBM accumulation, including gas generation and adsorption, unsaturated gas adsorption, gas desorption-diffusion and preservation. Controlled by tectonic evolution, hydrodynamics and sealing conditions, CBM tends to be regionally enriched in synclines. Advances in geological theory of CBM in China can not only improve understanding of natural gas, but also provide new ideas for further exploration of CBM.

The Classification and Model of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs

Coalbed methane has been explored in many basins worldwide for 30 years, and has been developed commercially in some of the basins. Many researchers have described the characteristics of coalbed methane geology and technology systematically. According to these investigations, a coalbed methane reservoir can be defined: 'a coal seam that contains some coalbed methane and is isolated from other fluid units is called a coalbed methane reservoir'. On the basis of anatomization, analysis, and comparison of the typical coalbed methane reservoirs, coalbed methane reservoirs can be divided into two classes: the hydrodynamic sealing coalbed methane reservoirs and the self-sealing coalbed methane reservoirs. The former can be further divided into two sub-classes: the hydrodynamic capping coalbed methane reservoirs, which can be divided into five types and the hydrodynamic driving coalbed methane reservoirs, which can be divided into three types. The latter can be divided into three types. Currently, hydrodynamic sealing reservoirs are the main target for coalbed methane exploration and development; self-sealing reservoirs are unsuitable for coalbed methane exploration and development, but they are closely related with coal mine gas hazards. Finally, a model for hydrodynamic sealing coalbed methane reservoirs is established.

Sorption of methane and CO_2 for enhanced coalbed methane recovery and carbon dioxide sequestration

Sequestration of CO2 in deep and unmineable coal seams is one of the attractive alternatives to reduce its atmospheric concentration. Injection of CO2 in coal seams may help in enhancing the recovery of coalbed methane. An experimental study has been carried out using coal samples from three different coal seams, to evaluate the enhanced gas recovery and sequestration potential of these coals. The coals were first saturated with methane and then by depressurization some of the adsorbed methane was desorbed. After partial desorption, CO2 was injected into the coals and subsequently they were depressurized again. Desorption of methane after the injections was studied, to investigate the ability of CO2 to displace and enhance the recovery of methane from the coals. The coals exhibited varying behavior of adsorption of CO2 and release of methane. For one coal, the release of methane was enhanced by injection of CO2, suggesting preferential adsorption of CO2 and desorption of methane. For the other two coals, CO2 injection did not produce incremental methane initially, as there was initial resistance to methane release. However with continued CO2 injection, most of the remaining methane was produced. The study suggested that preferential sorption behavior of coal and enhanced gas recovery pattern could not be generalized for all coals.