EnhancedCoalbedMethane(ECBM) TechnologyIntroduction

ZhimingFang
InstituteofRockandSoilMechanics ChineseAcademyofSciences

WhatisCoal?
Areadilycombustiblerockcontainingmorethan

50%byweightandmorethan70%byvolumeof carbonaceousmaterialformedfromcompaction andindurationofvariouslyalteredplantremains similartothoseinpeatydeposits Schopf(1956)

Acarbonaceoussubstancecomposedof

phytogeneticmaterialsSpackman(1958)
Ablackrockthatburns

WhatisCoalbedMethane(CBM)?
Gasgeneratedduringcoalification Gasis8599%methane(CH4) Gasisheldoncoalmatrixbyadsorption

StructureofCoal:DualPorositySystem
Primaryporosity
Coalmatrix

Secondaryporosity Coalcleats

Butt cleat

Matrix

Face cleat

Cleats
Porosity

Naturalfracturedcoal

Dualporositymodel

GasStorageMechanisms
Gascanexistinacoalseamintwoways:

Freegaswithincoalcleatsandnaturalfractures Adsorbedlayeronthesurfaceofmicropores
Becausethebulkporosityofthecoalcleatsystem(i.e.

secondaryporosity)issmall(<5%)andinitialgassaturationin thecoalcleatsistypicallylow(<10%),mostofthegasinplace incoals(>90%)isadsorbedinthecoalmatrix

Totalgas Volume = FreeGas Volume + Adsorbed GasVolume

GasStorageMechanisms
LangmuirIsotherm

Gs=
where:

abp 1+bp

Gs=gasstoragecapacity,ml/g a=Langmuirstoragecapacity,ml/g b=Langmuirconstant,MPa 1 p=pressure,MPa

TypicalLangmuirisotherm adsorptioncurve

GasTransportMechanisms

Controlledbypartial Controlledby

Controlledby

pressure FollowLangmuir equation

concentration gradient FollowFicksLaw

pressuregradient FollowDarcysLaw

CBMPrimaryProductionMechanisms

Reducecleatpressurebyproducingwater Methanedesorbsfrommatrixanddiffusestocleats Methaneandwaterflowtowellbore

BottleneckofCBMPrimaryProduction

Lowcoalpermeability(InChina,theinitialpermeability

of72%ofcoals<1mD)
Lowgasflowrate Lowgasrecoveryratio

EnhancedCBMTechnology
Concept
CO2 CH4

CO2 CH4 CH4 CH4 CH4

CO2

To inject gas into deep unminable coalbed for enhanced recovery of coalbed methane (ECBM) recovery

Primaryporosity
e.i.,CO2

Inertgas e.i.,N2

EnhancedCBMTechnology
Mechanisms

EnhancedCBMTechnology
CO2ECBMRecoveryMechanisms

Injectedcarbondioxideincleats Increasestotalcleatpressure Carbondioxidediffusesintomatrixandstronglyadsorbsontocoal Reducespartialpressureofmethaneincleats Methanedesorbsfrommatrixanddiffusestocleats Methaneandwaterflowtowellbore

EnhancedCBMTechnology
N2ECBMRecoveryMechanisms

Injectednitrogenintocleats Increasestotalcleatpressure Nitrogendiffusesintomatrixandweaklyadsorbsontocoal Reducespartialpressureofmethaneincleats Methanedesorbsfrommatrixanddiffusestocleats Methane,nitrogenandwaterflowtowellbore

WhyCO2ECBMattractmoreattention?

CO2isstoredGreenhousegasreduction andatthesametimetherecoveryof

coalbedmethaneisenhanced

CO2ECBMPilotTestinTheworld
CSEMP Fenn PCOR Lignite Recopol Central Appalachian Qinshui Basin MGSC-ECBM Allison Unit Black Warrior Yubari SWP San Juan

Schematic of CO2-ECBM

Distribution of pilot test in the world

USA

Japan

UN

Canada+China

ChallengesofCO2ECBMinChina
However,pureCO2asadisplacegashasfollowingproblems: 1. Makingthecoalswellandthereforereducingits permeability;InChina,theinitialpermeabilityof72%of coals<1mD. 2. Itisdifficulttoidentifyunminablecoalatpresent;The ECBMprojectsmayconflictwithmining.

GasmixtureECBM
Mechanisms

N2/CO CO22 Gas Mixture

CH4

CO2 CH4 CH4 CH4 CH4

CO2

The concept of GECBM technology is to inject gas mixture, consisting mainly of N2 and CO2, into the coalbed through the injectionwellsto displace the methane from the coal and drive it totheproductionwells.

GECBM:Features
BalancingthepreferentialsorptionroleofCO 2and

permeabilityenhancingroleofN 2. Suitableforlowpermeabilityandminablecoals,helpto controlgasoutburstandenhancemethanerecovery, therefore,attracttheinterestofenterprises. Lowering,eveneliminatingthecostofgaspurification.

PilotTestinPingdingshanCoalMine
Overview oftheTest

Fatcoal

620mdeeptunnel InitialpermeabilityisD 3testwells220existingproductionwells

Resultsofpilottest
2.0
3/hr) rate of methane(m CH /hr) (m 4 Flow rate of methane(m 3/hr) Flow 3/hr) Flow rate of methane(m 3/hr) Flow rate of methane(m

Flowrateofmethane(m3/hr)

1.5

CH4

Air injection Air injection

well1

1.0 0.5 0
33/hr) 3 Flow rate of air (m Flow rate of/hr) air (m /hr) m

2 2.0
1.5 1.5 1.0

CH CH 4
4

Air Air injection injection

air

0.5 0.5 00 2.0

Air well2
2 1 1

10 10 8 8 6 6 4 4 2 2 0 0
3

11

11 5
1.5 1.0 0.5 0 Nov.5

12

11 25

12

12

1 4

injection AirAir injection

well3
24

14

25

15
Nov.15

15

CH4

Nov.25

Dec.5

Dec.15

Date

Dec.25 Date

Jan.4

Jan.14

Jan.24

Feb.3

Pilottestsummary
The number of ring hole 1# hole 2# hole 3# hole Boring holes nearby (220 by traditional method) Comparation ECBM with traditional method Average flow rate of CH4(m3/hr) Average concentration of CH4(%)

0.86 0.422 0.63 0.13

23.5 43.4 8.6 6

5.7

2.7

Comparing with 220 conventional production wells, the Comparing with 220 conventional production wells, the average single well flow rate and the average average single well flow rate and the average of the test wells increased by concentration of the CH concentration of the CH of the test wells increased by 44 4.7 times and 1.7 times, respectively 4.7 times and 1.7 times, respectively

Thankyouforyourattentions!