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Physical Simulations of Gas Production Mechanism in Constant-Rate Co-production from Multiple Coal Reservoirs

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Abstract

Coalbed methane co-production is an efficient technique for producing gas from multiple coal reservoirs. In this study, four large-scale specimens were connected in parallel to model a system of coalbed methane production. The results revealed that a low-pressure coal reservoir is disrupted owing to the pressure equilibrium, causing the cross-formational flow of gas through the wellbore. The production and productivity contribution rates were positively correlated with the initial reservoir pressure over a stable production period, forming a “dynamic supply” state among the coal reservoirs. The intensity of the interlayer interference was negatively correlated with reservoir pressure such that with significant interlayer interference, reverse gas flow or a halt in production could occur in the low-pressure coal reservoir. The constant-rate production value and the effect of interlayer interference had an inverse relationship in terms of production; the smaller the former, the greater was the latter. Increasing the constant-rate value can restrict large-scale production from the high-pressure coal reservoir and improve the productivity recovery rate and production distribution of the low-pressure coal reservoir.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project [2016ZX05044002]; the National Natural Science Foundation of China [51874055, 51904044]. We thank the reviewers for their valuable comments during their busy schedule.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, College of Resources and Environmental Science, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Qixian Li, Jiang Xu, Shoujian Peng, Fazhi Yan, Bin Zhou, Ende Han & Cheng Jiang

  2. State and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory of Methane Drainage in Complex Coal Gas Seam, School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Qixian Li, Jiang Xu, Shoujian Peng, Fazhi Yan, Bin Zhou, Ende Han & Cheng Jiang

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  1. Qixian Li
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  2. Jiang Xu
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  3. Shoujian Peng
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  4. Fazhi Yan
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  5. Bin Zhou
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  6. Ende Han
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  7. Cheng Jiang
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Correspondence to Shoujian Peng or Fazhi Yan.

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Li, Q., Xu, J., Peng, S. et al. Physical Simulations of Gas Production Mechanism in Constant-Rate Co-production from Multiple Coal Reservoirs. Nat Resour Res 30, 1427–1443 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-020-09785-2

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