DEVELOPMENT OF ADVANCED RESERVOIR

CHARACTERISATION AND SIMULATION TOOLS FOR

IMPROVED COALBED METHANE RECOVERY
(ICBM)

ENK6-2000-00095

Partners:
GB
Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine,
GB
BP Exploration Operating Company Limited,
NL
Technische Universiteit Delft,
D
Deutsche Steinkohle Aktiengesellshaft,
GB
Wardell Armstrong,
FR
Institut Francais du Petrole,

ENERGY, ENVIRONMENT and SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

 World Energy Outlook

“THE INTERNET BEGINS WITH COAL”

Mark P. Mills
a kilogram of coal is being burned for every 4 megabytes of
information moved over the internet
internet use represents 8% of total U.S. electricity
consumption today
the internet’s share of fuel use in the U.S. is on the order
of 70 million tons per year of coal equivalent

© Imperial College London

 World Energy Outlook
total world primary energy demand is expected to
increase by an average of 2 – 3% a year until 2020;
the most rapid growth in energy demand will occur
outside the OECD;

Source: Bajura, Carbonseq01, Washington, May 2001,

© Imperial College London
 World Carbon Emission Models and
Storage Options

Worldwide Carbon Storage Capacity

Source: Freund, Carbonseq01, Washington, May 2001,

Deep Ocean
Saline Aquifers
Unminable Coal Seams
Depleted Oil Reservoirs
Depleted Gas Reservoirs
Source: Bajura, Carbonseq01, Washington, May 2001,
© Imperial College London
 Gas Retention in Coal

adsorbed gas
free gas

microcleat

Adsorption isotherm
cleat

CO2
Gas content (m3/t) 15
75%CO2 25%CH4

10

CH4
5
coal matrix
0
0 1.4 2.8 4.2 5.6 7
© Imperial College London Pressure (MPa)
 Major Coal Basins and Methane Resources
Continent Country Coal Resources Methane Resources
x 109 tonnes x 1012 m3
Europe and Belgium 0.075
the Russian France 0.600
Federation Germany 320 2.85
Hungary 0.085
Poland 160 2.85
Russia 6,500 17-113
Ukraine 140 1.7
UK 190 1.7

North America Canada 7,000 5.7-76

USA 3,970 11

Asia China 4,000 30-35

India 160 0.85
Indonesia 6
Kazakhstan 170 1.13

Australia 1,170 8.5-14

Africa 150 0.85

World Totals ~25,000 ~84 - 262

Source: ARI, 1992

© Imperial College London

 Coalbed Methane (CBM)
Technology
Durango Florida River
Plant
Coal Simon Pilot
McElmo Site
Dome N Tiffany Unit
2/ C
CO2 Field O
2
Colorado
COLORADO FA
IR
NEW MEXICO W
AY Allison Unit
New
Mexico

Overpressured:
Farmington Sw = 1.0
Sweet
Spot CO
2 Pipe
line

Underpressured:
Sw = 1.0
Underpressured:
Scale, miles Sw < 1.0
0 10 20

San Juan Basin

© Imperial College London
 Enhanced Coalbed

Gas content (m3/t)

Methane Recovery
CO2
15
75%CO2 25%CH4

(ECBM) 10
CH4
5
two principal methods of
ECBM, namely N2 and CO2 0
0 1.4 2.8 4.2 5.6 7
injection Pressure (MPa)

25
CH4 7% moist. coal
Gas content (m3/t)

20

15
N2 7% moist. coal
10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 BP Amoco Simon Lee N2 injection pilot
Pressure (MPa)

© Imperial College London

 Enhanced Coalbed Methane Recovery/CO2
Storage: Technical Challenges
Sorption, diffusion and flow of binary gas mixtures in
coalbed reservoirs
binary gas sorption behaviour
pvt behaviour of gas mixtures at reservoir conditions
stress, pore pressure and wellbore effects
matrix swelling/shrinkage effect on permeability and flow
relative permeability behaviour
diffusion and counter diffusion of gases
upscaling from matrix/cleat to reservoir scale
Multicomponent simulator incorporating the above
characteristics

© Imperial College London

 ICBM Project Objectives
• Investigate the basic scientific phenomena of
CO2 injection and retention in coal:
– water and CO2-CH4 adsorption/desorption
– diffusion/counter diffusion
– two-phase flow under simulated reservoir
conditions (stress, pore pressure and
temperature dependency)

• Develop a CO2-ECBM recovery and CO2

sequestration simulator

• Develop the technology and the tools to enable a

more accurate assessment of the potential for
improved methane recovery and CO2
sequestration
© Imperial College London
 ICBM WorkPackages
Characterisation of sorption and diffusion behaviour of CH4-CO2
mixtures in coal

Relative permeability and capillary pressure characterisation of the

cleat-matrix structure in coal

Stress-permeability-stimulation characterisation of coals for the

flow of CH4-CO2 mixtures

Geostatistical and fractal characterisation and upscaling of natural

fractures

Development of a two-phase, multicomponent CH4-CO2 simulator

Optimisation of enhanced methane recovery and CH4-CO2 storage

© Imperial College London

 Coalfields and Coals Used in the Project

UK coalfields including:
- South Wales
- North Derbyshire
- Central Scotland

German coalfields including:

- the Saar
- Ensdorf Colliery
- Warndt/Luisenthal Colliery

French coalfields including:

- Lorrainne Basin
- Nord Pas de Calais
- Ales Basin

© Imperial College London

 Cleat characterisation
Slabs:
- Face Cleat
- Butt Cleat
- Cleat Angle

IMAGE
ANALYSIS
Distribution France 495
Wolf II factor >=0.95 and <1.01
25 200

85 180
100
20 75 90 160

80

Cuttings:
140

95 105
15 120
frequency

70
65 100

10 60 80

60
- Micro-cleat size
55 110 120

- Cleat Angle
5 115 40

50
125 20
4045 135
10152025 3035 130 140145150155160165170175180
0 0
0

0
10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

cleat angle

Discrete cleat angle and size distribution

© Imperial College London

 Bidisperse Pore-Diffusion Model: Model
Predictions vs Laboratory Data
100
100
CH4 molar fraction (%)

80
βP = 1
60 10

40 test
model
20

0
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
Cum. CO2 injection / GIP

r rc 100
CO2 breakthrough 80

CH4 production rate

(% of injection rate)
80

CO2 breakthrough
q q
Cip 60

(mole %)
60
Ci R
Rp CH4 40
40

20 20

0 0
0 0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 2
CH4 production rate Cumu. CO2 injection (mole)
© Imperial College London