Flow of coal-bed methane to a gallery

Citation
A. Gilman et R. Beckie, Flow of coal-bed methane to a gallery, TRANS POR M, 41(1), 2000, pp. 1-16
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Chemical Engineering
Journal title
TRANSPORT IN POROUS MEDIA
ISSN journal
01693913 → ACNP
Volume
41
Issue
1
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1 - 16
Database
ISI
SICI code
0169-3913(200010)41:1<1:FOCMTA>2.0.ZU;2-M
Abstract
Coal-seam methane reservoirs have a number of unique feature compared to co nventional porous or fractured gas reservoirs. We propose a simplified math ematical model of methane movement in a coal seam taking into account the f ollowing features: a relatively regular cleat system, adsorptive methane st orage, an extremely slow mechanism of methane release from the coal matrix into cleats and a significant change of permeability due to desorption. Parameters of the model have been combined into a few dimensionless complex es which are estimated to an order of magnitude. The simplicity of the mode l allows us to fully investigate the influence of each parameter on the pro duction characteristics of the coal seam. We show that the reference time o f methane release from the coal matrix into cleats - the parameter which is most poorly investigated - may have a critical influence on the overall me thane production.