Coalbed Methane And Coal Geology

Resources of methane trapped within the porous system of coal, are many times greater than the collective reserves of all the known conventional gas fields. As coal is both the source rock and the reservoir for CBM there is a major paradox whereby, for gas sourced by the coal not to have migrated, the coal must either be sealed or possess very low permeability. And yet for the coal bed to be an effective reservoir the gas must readily migrate into the production well. The solution to this paradox lies in a wide-ranging understanding of the geology of coal, and this volume aims to provide some of the answers.

Coal Bed Methane: Theories and Applications, Second Edition, captures the full lifecycle of a coal bed methane well and offers petroleum geologists and engineers a single source for a broad range of coal bed methane (CBM) applications. The vast coal resources in the United States continue to produce tremendous amounts of natural gas, contributing to a diverse range of energy assets. This book addresses crucial technical topics, including exploration and evaluation of coal bed reservoirs, hydraulic fracturing of CBM wells, coal seam degasification, and production engineering and processing, among others. The book also covers legal issues and permitting, along with an economic analysis of CBM projects. This new edition includes information on new and established research and applications, making it relevant for field geologists and engineers, as well as students. Edited by a team of coal bed methane experts from industry, academia and government with more than 100 years of combined experience in the field Contains more than 150 figures, photographs and illustrations to aid in the understanding of fundamental concepts Presents the full scope of improvements in U.S. energy independence, coal mine safety and greenhouse gas emissions

Coal Bed Methane: From Prospect to Pipeline is the proceedings of the 25th anniversary of the North American Coal Bed Methane Forum. It provides the latest advancements in the production of coal bed methane covering a variety of topics, from exploration to gas processing, for commercial utilization. Additionally, it presents the origin of gas in coal, reservoir engineering, control of methane in coal mines, production techniques, water management, and gas processing. The vast coal resources in the United States continue to produce tremendous amounts of natural gas, contributing to a diverse range energy assets. Following a rapid advancement and subsequent plateau in technological developments, this book captures the full life cycle of a well and offers petroleum geologists and engineers a single source of a broad range of coal bed methane applications. This book addresses crucial technical topics, including exploration and evaluation of coal bed reservoirs; hydraulic fracturing of CBM wells; coal seam degasification; and production engineering and processing, among others. It also covers legal issues, permitting, and economic analysis of CBM projects. Edited by a team of coal bed methane experts from industry, academia and government who have more than 75 years of combined experience in the field Authored by well-recognized members of the gas and coal industry, universities, US government departments, such as the Department of Energy and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) More than 200 figures, photographs, and illustrations aid in the understanding of the fundamental concepts Presents the full scope of improvements in US energy independence, coal mine safety, and greenhouse gas emissions

Bridging the gap in expertise between coal and coalbed gas, subfields in which opportunities for cross training have been nonexistent, Coal and Coalbed Gas sets the standard for publishing in these areas. This book treats coal and coalbed gas as mutually inclusive commodities in terms of their interrelated origin, accumulation, composition, distribution, generation, and development, providing a balanced understanding of this energy mix. Currently considered a non-renewable energy resource, coalbed gas, or coalbed methane, is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent years, countries have begun to seek and exploit coal for its clean gas energy in an effort to alleviate environmental issues that come with coal use, making a book on this topic particularly timely. This volume takes into account processes of coalification, gasification, and storage and reservoir characterization and evaluation and looks at water management and environmental impacts as well. Covers environmental issues in the development of coalbed gas Includes case studies, field guides and data, examples, and analytical procedures from previous studies and investigations Accessible by a large multidisciplinary market by one of the world's foremost experts on the topic

Coalbed gas has been considered a hazard since the early 19th century when the first mine gas explosions occurred in the United States in 1810 and France in 1845. In eastern Australia methane-related mine disasters occurred late in the 19th century with hundreds of lives lost in New South Wales, and as recently as 1995 in Queensland's Bowen Basin. Ventilation and gas drainage technologies are now in practice. However, coalbed methane recently is becoming more recognized as a potential source of energy; rather than emitting this gas to the atmosphere during drainage of gassy mines it can be captured and utilized. Both economic and environmental concerns have sparked this impetus to capture coalbed methane. The number of methane utilization projects has increased in the United States in recent years as a result, to a large extent, of development in technology in methane recovery from coal seams. Between 1994 and 1997, the number of mines in Alabama, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia recovering and utilizing methane increased from 1 0 to 17. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that close to 49 billion cubic feet (Bet) of methane was recovered in 1996, meaning that this amount was not released into the atmosphere. It is estimated that in the same year total emissions of methane equaled 45. 7 Bcf. Other coal mines are being investigated at present, many ofwhich appear to be promising for the development of cost-effective gas recovery.

In some coalbeds, naturally occurring water pressure holds methane-the main component of natural gas-fixed to coal surfaces and within the coal. In a coalbed methane (CBM) well, pumping water from the coalbeds lowers this pressure, facilitating the release of methane from the coal for extraction and use as an energy source. Water pumped from coalbeds during this process-CBM 'produced water'-is managed through some combination of treatment, disposal, storage, or use, subject to compliance with federal and state regulations. CBM produced water management can be challenging for regulatory agencies, CBM well operators, water treatment companies, policy makers, landowners, and the public because of differences in the quality and quantity of produced water; available infrastructure; costs to treat, store, and transport produced water; and states' legal consideration of water and produced water. Some states consider produced water as waste, whereas others consider it a beneficial byproduct of methane production. Thus, although current technologies allow CBM produced water to be treated to any desired water quality, the majority of CBM produced water is presently being disposed of at least cost rather than put to beneficial use. This book specifically examines the Powder River, San Juan, Raton, Piceance, and Uinta CBM basins in the states of Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The conclusions and recommendations identify gaps in data and information, potential beneficial uses of CBM produced water and associated costs, and challenges in the existing regulatory framework.

The coalbed methane (CBM) reserve in China ranks third in the world with a total resource of 36.8×1012 m3. Exploitation of CBM has an important practical significance to ensure the long-term rapid development of China natural gas industry. Therefore, in 2002, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China set up a national 973 program to study CBM system and resolve problems of CBM exploration and exploitation in China. All the main research results and new insights from the program are presented in this book. The book is divided into 11 chapters. The first chapter mainly introduces the present situation of CBM exploration and development in China and abroad. Chapters 2 through 9 illustrate the geological theory and prospect evaluation methods. Then chapters 10 and 11 discuss CBM recovery mechanisms and technology. The book systematically describes the origin, storage, accumulation and emission of CBM in China, and also proposes new methods and technologies on resource evaluation, prospect prediction, seismic interpretation and enhanced recovery. The book will appeal to geologists, lecturers and students who are involved in the CBM industry and connected with coal and conventional hydrocarbon resources research.