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Comparison of Fracture and Permeability between Tectonically Deformed Coal and Briquette Coal using X-ray Computer Tomography and the Lattice Boltzmann Method

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Abstract

Coal and gas outburst mainly occurs in tectonically deformed coal (TDC). TDC has low strength and is difficult to core; thus, it is often replaced by briquette coal (BC) for research. However, whether the fracture and permeability in BC are consistent with TDC remains to be verified. This study used X-ray computer tomography to characterize the fracture of TDC and BC and further explored the difference of permeability between them through the triaxial permeability experiment and lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) simulation. The results showed that TDC has strong heterogeneity and developed mostly complex fracture systems with large apertures. The fractures are primarily flat with disorderly directions, slightly poor connectivity, but strong connection strength. However, BC is formed by the accumulation of particles and exhibits micro-fractures with good homogeneity, which are mostly tube and slit with good connectivity but weak connective strength. During the stress loading process, the permeability of TDC showed a three-stage (i.e., sharp → rapid → steady) declining trend, while the BC had a two-stage (i.e., sharp → rapid) decline. The fracture compressibility of TDC decreased first and then increased with the increase in stress, exhibiting mostly plastic deformation, while the fracture compressibility of BC is far less than that of TDC, exhibiting mostly elastic deformation. Moreover, the average permeability damage and irreversible permeability damage rates of TDC were 0.0133 mD (1 mD = 1 millidarcy = 9.869233−16 m2) and 52.56%, respectively, which were higher than those of BC. Therefore, a new digital rock physics method based on X-ray CT and LBM technology is proposed to study the fracture and permeability.

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Notes

  1. * 1 mD = 1 millidarcy = 9.869233-16 m2

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Acknowledgments

This study was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 42072195), Bidding project of Shanxi science and technology plan (20201101001), and the Projects of CNPC (2022KT140, 2021DJ2302). The authors would like to thank the Yinghua Inspection and Testing (Shanghai) Co., Ltd for the excellent X-ray CT data and service.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Resources & Environment, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454000, China

    Xianglong Wang, Jienan Pan, Nannan Cheng, Zhenzhi Wang & Yidong Li

  2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas for Central Plains Economic Region, Jiaozuo, Henan, China

    Xianglong Wang, Jienan Pan, Nannan Cheng, Zhenzhi Wang & Yidong Li

  3. Unconventional Oil and Gas Key Laboratory of CNPC, Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development, PetroChina, Beijing, 100083, China

    Ze Deng

  4. General Prospecting Institute, China National Administration of Coal Geology, Beijing, 100038, China

    Qiang Xu

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  1. Xianglong Wang
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Wang, X., Pan, J., Deng, Z. et al. Comparison of Fracture and Permeability between Tectonically Deformed Coal and Briquette Coal using X-ray Computer Tomography and the Lattice Boltzmann Method. Nat Resour Res 32, 2223–2241 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-023-10226-z

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