PART-2: CBM EXPLORATION PROGRAM OBJECTIVES

Dr Alan Bayrak Managing Director Coal Seam Gas Exploration & Production Services

IDENTIFY THE CBM PROSPECTIVITY OF THE POTENTIAL COAL SEAMS Definition of prospective coal seam: A prospective coal seam must hold a certain amount of recoverable gas with high concentration of methane (95>) to be extracted economically in current market and technological conditions.

Gas composition; Gas content; Coal thickness; Coal Depth; Permeability; and Identify potential CBM production zones.

Gas composition analysis is very important in assessment of CBM in coal reservoirs. CBM consists predominantly of methane (9099%) with minor amounts of other gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Inert gases (carbon dioxide and nitrogen) having content >5% is not accepted in most of the pipelines.

Gas content testing is the most important stage in an exploration program and needs high quality, reliable data to evaluate the resource potential of CSG in a prospect area. Gas content test includes three main gas estimation stages as follows: Q1-Lost Gas Q2-Measurable Gas Q3-Residual Gas All measurements must be conducted at reservoir temperature conditions. Desorption process is a continuous event and sometimes it takes up to three months (depends on natural permeability in the coal). It starts right after coal sample is sealed off in the canister (at the field) and continues till all gas is released from the coal (at the lab). In this method, gas content is determined by collecting and measuring the volume of gas released from a sample of coal taken out from the coal seam by drilling.
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Total net coal thickness is an important parameter in constraining the CBM resources, however it is thickness of individual coal seams and their proximity to each other that affects the design and cost of the gas field development. A minimum of 8-10 metres net coal can be considered a potential reservoir.

A practical depth range of commercial CBM developments is 250 metres up to 1200metres under favourable permeability and gas content.

The most critical factor in CSG play is the presence of permeability. Properties of the natural fracture system (cleats) have the greatest effect on gas and water production rates. Absolute permeability and relative permeability are two of the most important natural fracture system flow properties. Permeability of a coal bed is determined by its fracture (cleat) system, which in turn is largely controlled by the tectonic/structural setting. Whilst permeability testing provides useful information the key for any area is to demonstrate production from the seams. Permeability testing determines the in-situ reservoir permeability of target coal seams utilis-ing injection/falloff tests, which are very effective and efficient for testing water saturated coal seams.
Total T est kh 385.63 md. ft Xe ft 1300 h 34.449 ft k 11.1944 md Ye ft Xw ft 0 400 -2

1250

sd -0.109 Yw ft pi (syn) 1320.8 psi(a) p*mo del 1320.8 psi(a) Cumwat er 0. 00 M bbl M stb W IPmo del

Pressure (psi(a))

-4 E rro r (%)

300

Liq uid Rate (bbl/ d) Liq uid Rate (bbl/ d)

1200 -6 1150 -8 1100 pdat a 1050 pmo del qwater % Error -10

200

100

-12 0 2.00

0.00

0.20

0.40

0.60

0.80

1.00 Time (h)

1.20

1. 40

1. 60

1. 80

Define the composition and content of the coal seam gas within the coals attributable to economic gas production; Identify potential CBM targets; To advance the understanding of the extend of the coal seams; To incorporate the borehole data into the database program to improve geological model for the area; To assist in geological correlation of existing seismic data in the prospect area.