Transport in Porous Media

, Volume 75, Issue 1, pp 35–54 | Cite as

Competitive Methane Desorption by Supercritical CO2 Injection in Coal

  • Ji-Quan Shi
  • Saikat Mazumder
  • Karl-Heinz Wolf
  • Sevket Durucan
Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

A large diameter (∼70 mm) dry coal sample was used to study the competitive displacement of CH4 by injection of supercritical CO2, and CO2–CH4 counter-diffusion in coal matrix. During the test, a staged loading procedure, which allows the calibration of the key reservoir modelling parameters in a sequential and progressive manner, was employed. The core-flooding test was history matched using an Enhanced Coalbed Methane (ECBM) simulator, in which Fick’s Law for mixed gas diffusion and the extended Langmuir equations are implemented. The system pressure rise during the two loading stages and the CO2 breakthrough time in the final production stage were matched by using the pair of constant sorption times (9 and 3.2 days) for CH4 and CO2, respectively. The corresponding diffusion coefficients for CH4 and CO2 were estimated to be 1.6 ×  10−12 and 4.6 ×  10−12 m2/s, respectively. Comparison was made with published gas diffusion coefficients for dry ground samples (ranging from < 0.063 to ∼3 mm) of the same coal at relatively low pressures (< 4 MPa). The CO2/CH4 gas diffusion coefficient ratio was well within the reported range (2–3), whereas the CH4 diffusion coefficient obtained from history matching of the core-flooding test is approximately 15 times smaller than that arrived by curve-fitting the measured sorption uptake rate using a unipore diffusion model. The calibrated model prediction of the effluent gas composition was in good agreement with the test data for CO2 mole fraction of up to 20%.

Keywords

CO2 storage Enhanced methane recovery Coal Supercritical CO2 Competitive desorption Numerical simulation 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Airey E.M. (1968). Gas emission from broken coal – an experimental and theoretical investigation. Int. J. Rock. Mech. Min. Sci. 5: 457–494 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Arri, L.E., Yee, D., Morgan, W.D., Jeansonne, M.W.: Modelling coalbed methane production with binary gas sorption. Paper SPE 24363 presented at the SPE Rocky Mountain Regional Metting, Casper, Wyoming, May 18–21, 1992Google Scholar
  3. Busch A., Gensterblum Y., Krooss B.M. and Littke R. (2004). Methane and carbon dioxide adsorption-diffusion experiments on coal: upscaling and modelling. Int. J. Coal Geol. 60: 151–168 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Chaback, J.J., Morgan, D., Yee, D.: Sorption irreversibilities and mixture compressional behaviour during enhanced coal bed methane recovery processes. Paper SPE 35622 presented at the Gas Technology conference in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, April 28–May 1, 1996Google Scholar
  5. Clarkson C.R. and Bustin R.M. (1999a). The effect of pore structure and gas pressure upon the transport properties of coal: a laboratory and modeling study. 1. Isotherms and pore volume distributions. Fuel 78(11): 1333–1344 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  6. Clarkson C.R. and Bustin R.M. (1999b). The effect of pore structure and gas pressure upon the transport properties of coal: a laboratory and modeling study. 2. Adsorption rate modeling. Fuel 78(11): 1345–1362 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  7. Cui X., Bustin R.M. and Dipple G. (2003). Selective transport of CO2, CH4, and N2 in coals: insights from modeling of experimental gas adsorption data. Fuel 83: 293–303 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  8. Durucan S. and Edwards J.S. (1986). The effects of stress and fracturing on permeability of coal. Mining Sci. Technol. 3: 205–216 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  9. Durucan, S., Shi, J.-Q., Syahrial, E.: An investigation into the effects of matrix swelling on coal permeability for ECBM and CO2 sequestration assessment. Final report on EPSRC Grant No. GR/N24148/01 (2003)Google Scholar
  10. Fitzgerald J.E., Pan Z., Sudibandriyo M., Gasem K.A.M., Reeves S. and Robinson R.L. (2005). Adsorption of methane, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and their mixtures on wet Tiffany coal. Fuel 84: 2351–2363 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  11. Gan H., Nandi S.P. and Walker P.L. (1972). Nature of the porosity in American coals. Fuel 51(4): 272–277 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  12. Hall, F.E., Zhou, C., Gasem, K.A.M., Robinson, R.L., Jr., Yee, D.: Adsorption of pure methane, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide and their binary mixtures on wet fruitland coal. Paper SPE 29194 presented at the 1994 Eastern Regional conference & exhibition in Charleston, WV, USA, November 8–10, 1994Google Scholar
  13. Harpalani, S., Pariti, U.M.: Study of coal sorption isotherms using a multi component gas mixture. In: Proceedings of the International Coalbed Methane Symposium, Birmingham, Alabama, May 17–21, pp. 151–160 (1993)Google Scholar
  14. IPCC: IPCC special report on carbon dioxide capture and storage. In: Metz, B., Davidson, O., de Cominck, H.C., Loos, M., Meyer, L.A. (eds.) Prepared by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 442 pp. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA (2005)Google Scholar
  15. Kim, A.G., Kissel, F.N.: Methane formation and migration in coalbeds. In: Duel, M., Kim, A.G. (eds.) Methane Control Research: Summary of Results, 1964–80, Chapter 3, pp. 18–25. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Mines Bulletin/1988, Bulletin 687 (1986)Google Scholar
  16. King, G.R., Ertekin, T., Schwerer, F.C.: Numerical simulation of the transient behavior of coal seam degasification wells. SPEFE, 165–183 (1986)Google Scholar
  17. Krooss B.M., van Bergen F., Gensterblum Y., Siemons N., Pagnier H.J.M. and David P. (2002). High-pressure methane and carbon dioxide adsorption on dry and moisture-equilibrated Pennsylvanian coals. Int. J. Coal Geol. 51: 151–168 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Law, D.H.-S., van der Meer, L.H.G., Gunter, W.D.: Comparison of numerical simulators for greenhouse gas storage in coalbeds, Part III: more complex problems. Paper presented at the 2nd annual conference on carbon sequestration, Alexandria, VA, May 5–8, 2003Google Scholar
  19. Mavor, M., Gunter, W.D., Robinson, J.R.: Alberta multiwell micro-pilot testing for CBM properties, enhanced recovery and CO2 storage potential. Paper SPE 90256 presented at the SPE annual conference and exhibition, Houston, Texas, 26–29 September 2004Google Scholar
  20. Mazumder, S., Karnik, A., Wolf, K.-H.A.A.: Swelling of coal in response to CO2 sequestration for ECBM and its effect on fracture permeability. SPE J., 390–398 (2006a)Google Scholar
  21. Mazumder, S., Bruining, J., Wolf, K.-H.A.A.: Swelling and anomalous diffusion mechanisms of CO2 in coal. In: Proceeding of 2006 International Coalbed Methane Symposium, 24–25 May, Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA, paper 0601 (2006b)Google Scholar
  22. Nandi S.P. and Walker P.L (1964). The diffusion of nitrogen and carbon dioxide from coals of various rank. Fuel 43: 385–393 Google Scholar
  23. Nandi S.P. and Walker P.L (1975). Activated diffusion of methane from coals at elevated pressures. Fuel 54: 81–86 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  24. Pagnier, H., Van Bergen, F.: CO2 storage in coal: the RECOPOL project. Presented at the 1st international forum on geologic sequestration in deep, unmineable coal seams (Coal-Seq I), Houston, TX, March 14–15, 2002Google Scholar
  25. Peng D.Y. and Robinson D.B. (1976). A new two-constant equation of state. Ind. Eng. Chem. 15(1): 59–64 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Reeves, S., Taillefert, A., Pekot, L., Clarkson, C.: The Allison unit CO2 – ECBM pilot: a reservoir modeling study. Topical Report, U.S. Department of Energy, DE-FC26-0NT40924, February 2003Google Scholar
  27. Reznik A.A., Singh P.K. and Foley W.L. (1984). An analysis of the effect of CO2 injection on the recovery of in-situ methane from bituminous coal: an experimental simulation. Soc. Petrol. Eng. J. 24: 521–528 Google Scholar
  28. Romanov, V., Goodman, A., Warzinski, R., Soong, Y.: Uncertainties in carbon dioxide sorption measurements. In: Proceeding of 2006 International Coalbed Methane Symposium, 24–25 May, Tuscaloosa, Alabama USA, paper 0622 (2006)Google Scholar
  29. Shi J.-Q. and Durucan S. (2003). A bidisperse pore diffusion model for methane displacement desorption in coal by CO2 injection. Fuel 82: 1219–1229 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Shi, J.-Q., Durucan, S.: A numerical simulation study of the allison unit CO2-ECBM pilot: the impact of matrix shrinkage and swelling on ECBM production and CO2 injectivity. In: Rubin, E.S., Keith, D.W., Gilboy, C.F. (eds.) Proceedings of 7th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies. Volume 1: Peer-Reviewed Papers and Plenary Presentations, IEA Greenhouse Gas Programme, pp. 431–439. Cheltenham, UK (2004)Google Scholar
  31. Shi, J.-Q., Durucan, S.: A model for changes in coalbed permeability during primary and enhanced methane recovery. SPE Reserv. Eval. Eng., 291–300 (2005)Google Scholar
  32. Siemons, N., Busch, A., Bruining, H., Krooss, B.M., Gensterblum, Y.: Accessing the kinetics and capacity of gas adsorption in coals by a combined adsorption/diffusion method. Paper SPE 84340 presented at annual technical conference and exhibition, 5–8 October, Denver (2003)Google Scholar
  33. Siemons N., Bruining H., Castelijns H. and Wolf K.-H. (2006). Pressure dependence of the contact angle in a CO2–H2O–coal system. J. Colloid Interf. Sci. 297(4): 755–761 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Smith, D.M., Williams, F.L.: Diffusional effects in the recovery of methane from coalbeds. SPEJ, 529–541 (1984)Google Scholar
  35. Stanton, R., Flores, R., Warwick, P.D., Gluskoter, H., Stricker, G.D.: Coalbed sequestration of carbon dioxide. In: 1st National Conference on Carbon Sequestration, Washington, USA (2001)Google Scholar
  36. Thimons E.D. and Kissell F.N. (1973). Diffusion of methane through coal. Fuel 52(4): 274–280 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Warren, J.E., Root, P.J.: The behavior of naturally fractured reservoirs. SPEJ, 245–255 (1963)Google Scholar
  38. White C.M., Smith D.H., Jones K.L., Goodman A.L., LaCount R.B., Ozdemir E., Moris B.I. and Schroeder K.T. (2005). Sequestration of carbon dioxide in coal with enhanced coalbed methane recovery – a review. Energy Fuel 19: 659–724 CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Wolf, K.-H.A.A., Hijman, R., Barzandij, O.H., Bruining, J.: Laboratory experiments and simulations on the environmentally friendly improvement of coalbed methane production by carbon-dioxide injection. In: Proceedings of the 1999 Coalbed Methane Symposium, pp. 279–290. Tuscaloosa, 3–7 May 1999Google Scholar
  40. Wong, S., Law, D., Deng, X., Robinson, J., Kdatz, B., Gunter, B., Ye, J., Fan, Z.: Enhanced coalbed methane – micro-pilot test at south Quishui Shanxi, China. Presented at 8th international conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Trondhein, Norway, 19–22 June 2006Google Scholar
  41. Yamaguchi, S., Ohga, K., Fujioka, M., Nako, M., Muto, S.: Field experiment of Japan CO2 geosequestration in coal seams project (JCOP). In: Proceedings of 8th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies, Trondheim, Norway, 19–22 June, paper O2-05-02 (CD-ROM) (2006)Google Scholar
  42. Yee, D., Seidle, J.P., Hanson, W.P.: AAPG Studies in Geology No. 38, pp. 203–218 (1993)Google Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008

Authors and Affiliations

  • Ji-Quan Shi
    • 1
  • Saikat Mazumder
    • 2
    • 3
  • Karl-Heinz Wolf
    • 2
  • Sevket Durucan
    • 1
  1. 1.Imperial CollegeLondonUK
  2. 2.Technical University of DelftDelftThe Netherlands
  3. 3.Shell International Exploration and Production B.V.The HagueThe Netherlands

Personalised recommendations