OVERVIEW OF CBM & IT’S WORKOVER

OPERATIONS
ABSTRACT
• Currently, gas demand exceeds supply by 30%, While the demand for
natural gas in India is 118 million metric standard cubic meter per day
(MMSCMD). The current supply from various sources is 90 MMSCMD,
Leaving a shortfall of 28 MMSCMD. That deficiency can be covered by
CBM production.
WHAT IS COAL BED METHANE ?
• Standard Natural Gas C𝐻4
• CBM is generated either through chemical reaction or bacterial action
• Chemical reaction occur over time as heat and pressure are applied to coal in sedimentary basin,
referred to as thermogenic methane.
• Bacteria obtain nutrition from organic matter and produce methane as a by product, is referred to
biogenic methane.
• Methane is held in the cleats with the coal
• Substantial water pressure is needed to keep the methane in the coal
FORMATION OF METHANE DURING
COALIFICATION PROCESS
METHANE STORAGE IN COAL
Methane in coal is:
• Adsorbed on the surface of the coal
• Stored as free gas in the cleats and open pores
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT (CBM)
Casing Type Hole Size Casing Size Details Shoe Depth
• Coring
• Drilling Conductor 17 ½” 14” ERW pipe ~18 m

Surface 10 5/8” 8 5/8” 24 ppf, K55, 200 m

• Casing & Cementation CORE ANALYSIS STC
• Gas volume Production 7 7/8” 5 ½” 15.5 ppf, K55, Set at TD
• Cased hole Logging & • Gas composition BTC
Perforation • Coal description
• Adsorption isotherm
• Well Testing • Proximate analysis
• Ultimate analysis
• Hydraulic Fracking • Vitrinite reflectance
• Bulk density determination
• Well Completion
• Production
CBM PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES
 METHANE DESORPTION
• CBM is produced by removing water pressure that holds the CBM in place.
• Methane that was held in place by water pressure.
 PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMP
• PCP is a positive displacement pump, where produced fluid is displaced axially at a constant rate.
• PCP’S are comprised of two helicoidal gears, where the rotor is positioned inside the stator.
• Combination of rotational movement and geometry of the rotor inside the stator results in the formation of cavities that
move axially from pump suction to pump discharge.

Bottom Hole Equipment:

• Stator
• Rotor
• No Turn Tool
• Rotor bushing
• Necessary X-overs & Gas anchors
Surface Equipment:
• Flow Tee
• Hollow Shaft drive head
• Intrinsically safe electric motor/hydraulic
motor driven by duel fuel engines
• Polished rod
• Polished rod clamp
 PRODUCTION PROBLEMS & NEED FOR WORKOVER
Parameter Causes Workover type
Low water head in Downsize The Pump
• Workover refers to any kind of well
the Annulus
intervention involving invasive techniques
Sand Production Sand Cleaning
• It can also be described as the process of High Torque Increases
performing major maintenance or remedial Gas Influx In Lower the PID
treatment on a oil or gas well.
Tubing
• In all the operations, pump is required to Elastomer Swelling Downsizing Rotor (Slim
stop and in some of the operations Hole Rotor)
downhole pump is to be retrieved. Pump Unscrewed Fishing
• Most common workover operations Sucker Rod Fishing
includes Sand cleaning & Flushing, Unscrew
Downsizing the pump, Fishing, etc.., Low Torque
(Mostly Means Fishing) Tubing / Sucker Fishing
Rod Shear
NTT Fail Change NTT – Fishing

Low Production Tubing Puncture Replace Tubing

 CONSTRAINTS OF CBM AND THEIR POSSIBLE
SOLUTONS
• Failure in Attainment of Continuous Dewatering (Due to sand production, scaling, sucker rod unscrew, tubing puncture,
high torque etc..,)

SOLUTION: Eliminating workover is an impossible target but it can definitely be reduced.

I. if a high percentage of sand is pumped out continuously, it may lead to abrasive wear of the rotor and stator. So running a pump with larger
displacement per RPM and lower pump speed reduces velocity of the particles within the pump preventing abrasive wear.

II. The well must be properly swabbed after acid job till the pH of the fluid is back to its original level to avoid acid attack on the rotor and
stator.

III. Proper space-out is mandatory keeping in mind every small factor to avoid the pump locking up and other torsional stresses.

IV. To avoid elastomer swell, dry run and burning of the elastomer due to friction, the selection of pump model, elastomer-fluid compatibility
check and PID selection must be appropriate so that it does not require frequent changes.

V. If dry run is the result of high percentages of free gas, lowering the pump setting depth or running a gas anchor will limit the gas entry.

VI. There are some mechanical failures like tubing punctures and sucker rods being worn out, and to reduce this, centralizers should be used
for each sucker rod and the pump should be operated at an optimum RPM which will decrease the vibrations.
 CONTINUED…

• LOW PERMEABILITY- (permeability of CBM is extremely low i.e. below 0.1 mD)
SOLUTION- Hydraulic Fracking
• SAND PRODUCTION
SOLUTION- If the permeability even after the HF job is low, therefore gravel packing cannot be used. The only changes which we can make
are:
I. Increasing the total depth of the well i.e. the sump.
II. Using resin coated proppants or sand wedge so that they bind the near well bore proppants and prevent them from
accumulating in the sump, thereby reducing the sand production.
• SCALE FORMATION
SOLUTION: Only solution for this constraint is injection of biodegradable scale inhibitors in the formation to reduce frequent acid jobs.
• WATER INFLUX DURING DRILLING
SOLUTION: The only remedy for this constraint is to shift from air drilling to mud drilling.
• SURFACE WATER DISCHARGE
SOLUTION: Before disposal it has to be treated, as it contains Trace metals and organics which are carcinogenic .
THANK YOU