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Coalbed Gas Content: Insights
Coalbed Gas Content: Insights
Presented to:
Mid-Continent Coalbed Methane Forum
Tulsa, OK
June 13, 2002
Tim Pratt, TICORA
720/898-8200
tim-pratt@gti-ticora.com
a subsidiary of GTI
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Coalbed Reservoir Gas Content
Gas Storage Mechanisms:
Free gas within natural fractures.
Dissolved gas in water within natural fractures.
Adsorbed gas within the coal matrix.
Total Gas
Volume
Free Gas
Volume
Dissolved
Gas Volume
Adsorbed
Gas Volume
+ +
=
Typically > 95%
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Long Term Desorption: Best Practice
Analysis Protocols
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
-50
-100
-150
-200
-250
G
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,

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A
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D
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0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 40.0 40.5
Square Root Elapsed Time, ( Hours)
Lost Gas
Measured Gas
Lost Gas
Time
Residual Gas
Long Term Desorption
Experiment Terminated.
Sample Crushed
to -60 Mesh.
Gas Composition Analysis
Residual
Gas
Analysis
Lost
Gas
Analysis
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Coal Flow Mechanisms
Wellbore
Induced
Fracture
Macro-Porosity
Fracture Porosity
> 50 nm
Meso-Porosity
> 2 nm < 50 nm
Micro-Porosity
< 2 nm
Sorption Diffusion Darcy Flow Pipe Flow
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Gas Sorption Knowledge Its a Good Thing
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0
Moisture + Ash Content, wt. fraction
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Maximum gas content (0% moisture + ash): 837 scf/ton
Gas content is 0 scf/ton at 0.9663 moisture + ash
Maximum gas content (0% moisture + ash): 837 scf/ton
Gas content is 0 scf/ton at 0.9663 moisture + ash
R
2
= 0.9663
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Gas Sorption Knowledge Its a Good Thing
D
r
y
,

A
s
h
-
F
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G
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C
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t
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t
,

s
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Depth, ft
Single Rapid Gas
Average Long
Term Desorption
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Gas Resource - What We Get From Core
Coalbed Gas Reservoirs
Evaluate:
In-situ Gas Content & Bulk Density
% Gas Saturation
Gas Composition
Reservoir Pressure & Temperature
Reservoir Volume (Area & Thickness)
Coalbed Gas Reservoirs
Evaluate:
In-situ Gas Content & Bulk Density
% Gas Saturation
Gas Composition
Reservoir Pressure & Temperature
Reservoir Volume (Area & Thickness)
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Data Confidence
UNCERTAINTY
DRAINAGE
AREA
THICKNESS
IN-SITU
DENSITY
IN-SITU GAS
CONTENT
HIGH
MEDIUM
LOW
Commonly Used Protocols
Very High Sampling Density
Best Practice Protocols
GIP = Ah
c
G
c
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500
300
200
100
0
400
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000
Pressure (psia)
M
e
t
h
a
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e

S
t
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r
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e

C
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p
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c
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y

(
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)
Methane Storage Capacity
450 scf/ton
Initial Reservoir
Pressure
1,620 psia
Initial
Gas
Content
355 scf/ton
Typical Methane Isotherm
Critical Desorption Pressure
632 psia
Abandonment Gas Content
125 scf/ton
Abandonment Pressure
100 psia
Gas Recovery Factor
(230/355) X 100 = 64.8% scf/ton
230 scf/ton
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Coal Gas Analyses Flow Chart
(Minimum Data Requirements)
FIELD LABORATORY
ANALYSIS
Sample
Acquisition
Field
Desorption
(short -term)
Desorption
(long-term)
Desorption Data Entry,
Lost Gas Analysis,
Data Analysis
Final Analysis
Lab Testing
Sample Preparation
Preliminary
Data &Field
Report
Data
Integration
Residual Gas
Density
Sorption Isotherm
Petrography
Chemistry
Initial Project
Review/Design
With Client
Well Site
Transport
to Lab
Sample
Submission
RapidGas
SM
Final Project
Report
Client Follow-up
Data
Interpretation
Sample
Acquisition
Field
Desorption
(short -term)
Desorption
(long-term)
Desorption Data Entry,
Lost Gas Analysis,
Data Analysis
Final Analysis
Lab Testing
Sample Preparation
Preliminary
Data &Field
Report
Data
Integration
Residual Gas
Moisture Holding Capacity
Density
Sorption Isotherm
Petrography
Chemistry
Initial Project
Review/Design
With Client
Well Site
Transport
to Lab
Sample
Submission
RapidGas RapidGas
SM SM Log Processing
Final Project
Report
Client Follow- up
Data
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How Long Does The Job Last?
That depends on the coal desorption
properties and the extent of the analysis
program.
That depends on the coal desorption
properties and the extent of the analysis
program.
Job A
Job Z
L
a
b

A
n
a
l
y
s
i
s
Months: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
Job A
Job Z
Function of desorption
characteristics
D
e
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o
r
p
t
i
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n

A
n
a
l
y
s
i
s
Function of TICORA efficiency &
third- party vendors
RapidGas
SM
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Gas Mobility (Movement Characteristics)
S
o
r
p
t
i
o
n

T
i
m
e
s
l
o
w
f
a
s
t
Lignite Subbituminous
C B A
High Vol.
Bituminous
C B A
Medium Vol.
Bituminous
P
R
B
S
J
B
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Residual Gas vs. Crushed Gas vs. RapidGas RapidGas RapidGas RapidGas
SM
Time
RapidGas
SM
F
a
s
t
S
l
o
w
D
e
s
o
r
b
e
d

G
a
s

V
o
l
u
m
e
Time
Residual Gas
F
a
s
t


D
e
s
o
r
p
t
i
o
n
Slow Desorption
residual
gas
residual
gas
Time
Crushed Gas
F
a
s
t
Slow
crushed
gas
crushed
gas
tgi
a subsidiary of GTI
Long Term Desorption: Best Practice
Analysis Protocols
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
-50
-100
-150
-200
-250
G
a
s

C
o
n
t
e
n
t
,

(
S
C
F
/
T
o
n
,

A
i
r
-
D
r
y
)
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 40.0 40.5
Square Root Elapsed Time, ( Hours)
Lost Gas
Measured Gas
Lost Gas
Time
Residual Gas
Long Term Desorption
Experiment Terminated.
Sample Crushed
to -60 Mesh.
Gas Composition Analysis
Residual
Gas
Analysis
Lost
Gas
Analysis
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Sorbed Phase Gas Composition
Twenty Mile #21C-3523
89.27
90.37
88.77
61.47
8.53
7.73
8.29
8.99
2.18 1.82
2.92
29.52
0
20
40
60
80
100
Uppe r Inte rval,
Pre s e rve d
Middle Inte rval,
Pre s e rve d
Lowe r Inte rval,
Pre s e rve d
Lowe r Inte rval,
Non-Pre s e rve d
M
o
l
e

%
CH4
CO2
N2
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Natural Fracture Development (Tectonic)
vs. Rank
H
a
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d
g
r
o
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e

G
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d
a
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y
I
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x
(
F
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e

D
e
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e
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o
p
m
e
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t
)
Coal Rank
High Volatile
A Bituminouus
Generalized Graphic
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X-Ray Radiograph Gray Level (0 - 255)
Density Profile
0 50 100 150 200 250
Coal Gas Reservoir Systems
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Sorption Isotherm Parameters
S
o
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d

V
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e
Pressure
P P
Temperature Moisture
Gas Sorbate
SAME COAL
SAME COAL
N2
CH4
CO2
C2 +
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Storage Capacity Versus Moisture Content
S
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)
Pressure
1-2% moisture
10% moisture
15% moisture
20% moisture
27% moisture
= 30% moisture
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Sorption Isotherm Parameters
S
o
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b
e
d

V
o
l
u
m
e
Pressure P P
Mineral Matter
Concentration
Vitrinite
Concentration
Oxidation
SAME RESERVOIR
SAME RESERVOIR
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The Analytical Goal is to Construct
Comprehensive and Critical Information...
Isotherm Comparison
& Gas Recovery Parameters
0
50
100
150
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300
350
400
0 250 500 750 1,000 1,250 1,500 1,750 2,000
Pressure, psia
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Methane
Gas Mixture - Binary
In-Situ Gas Content
Binary Storage Capacity: 262 scf/ton
(Modeled Sorbed Gas Composition: 86.1% CH4 ; 13.9 % CO2)
In-Situ Gas Content: 234.12 scf/ton
Reservoir Pressure: 1461.3 psia
Critical Desorption Pressure: 1,069.4 psia
Gas Recovery Factor (fraction, assumes abandonment pressure of 40 psia): 0.91
Binary Storage Capacity: 262 scf/ton
(Modeled Sorbed Gas Composition: 86.1% CH4 ; 13.9 % CO2)
In-Situ Gas Content: 234.12 scf/ton
Reservoir Pressure: 1461.3 psia
Critical Desorption Pressure: 1,069.4 psia
Gas Recovery Factor (fraction, assumes abandonment pressure of 40 psia): 0.91
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Reservoir Thickness - Inorganic Dilution
G
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C
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1.30 1.75 2.45
COAL CARB SHALE
~0% ash ~50% ash ~100% ash
Density g/cm
3
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Gas Content Versus Coal Composition
Uinta
y = -7.3705x + 697.24
R
2
= 0.9502
Piceance
y = -4.5427x + 415.99
R
2
= 0.8316
San Juan
y = -5.6368x + 532.64
R
2
= 0.9196
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
Moisture + Ash (weight %)
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G
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(
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)
Uinta
Piceance
San Juan
Rule-of-thumb upper density limit: 1.75 g/cm
3
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Creating Value with
Gas Sorption Knowledge
! Exploration
! Is the Resource Present go/no go
! Producibility Economic Viability (when should the gas come)
! Critical Reservoir Properties Gas Mobility
! Asset Valuation
! Resource In Place
! Recovery Factor Producible Reserves
! Resource Quality Sorbed Phase Gas Composition
! Asset Development
! Optimum Flowing Pressure Critical Desorption Pressure
! Gas Processing Gas Quality
! Infield Development Potential
Assumption is that the data is collected, analyzed
and reported using best practices protocols
Assumption is that the data is collected, analyzed
and reported using best practices protocols