Coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical modeling of CO 2 -enhanced coalbed methane recovery

Ma, Tianran; Rutqvist, Jonny; Oldenburg, Curtis M.; Liu, Weiqun

doi:10.1016/j.coal.2017.05.013

Coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical modeling of CO ₂ -enhanced coalbed methane recovery

Journal Article · Mon May 22 00:00:00 EDT 2017 · International Journal of Coal Geology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coal.2017.05.013· OSTI ID:1379888

^[1]; Rutqvist, Jonny ^[2]; Oldenburg, Curtis M. ^[2]; Liu, Weiqun ^[3]

China Univ. of Mining and Technology, Jiangsu (China). key Lab. of Coal-based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, State Key Lab. for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Geosciences Division
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Energy Geosciences Division
China Univ. of Mining and Technology, Jiangsu (China). key Lab. of Coal-based CO2 Capture and Geological Storage, State Key Lab. for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering

CO ₂ -enhanced coalbed methane recovery, also known as CO ₂ -ECBM, is a potential win-win approach for enhanced methane production while simultaneously sequestering injected anthropogenic CO ₂ to decrease CO ₂ emissions into the atmosphere. Here, CO ₂ -ECBM is simulated using a coupled thermal–hydrological–mechanical (THM) numerical model that considers multiphase (gas and water) flow and solubility, multicomponent (CO₂ and CH ₄ ) diffusion and adsorption, heat transfer and coal deformation. The coupled model is based on the TOUGH-FLAC simulator, which is applied here for the first time to model CO ₂ -ECBM. The capacity of the simulator for modeling methane production is verified by a code-to-code comparison with the general-purpose finite-element solver COMSOL. Then, the TOUGH-FLAC simulator is applied in an isothermal simulation to study the variations in permeability evolution during a CO ₂ -ECBM operation while considering four different stress-dependent permeability models that have been implemented into the simulator. Finally, the TOUGH-FLAC simulator is applied in non-isothermal simulations to model THM responses during a CO ₂ -ECBM operation.Our simulations show that the permeability evolution, mechanical stress, and deformation are all affected by changes in pressure, temperature and adsorption swelling, with adsorption swelling having the largest effect. The calculated stress changes do not induce any mechanical failure in the coal seam, except near the injection well in one case of a very unfavorable stress field.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE), Clean Coal and Carbon (FE-20)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1379888

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1397665

Journal Information:: International Journal of Coal Geology, Journal Name: International Journal of Coal Geology Journal Issue: C Vol. 179; ISSN 0166-5162

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited By (4)

Supercritical-CO₂ Adsorption Quantification and Modeling for a Deep Coalbed Methane Reservoir in the Southern Qinshui Basin, China Liu, Huihu; Sang, Shuxun; Liu, Shimin ACS Omega, Vol. 4, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b00599	journal	July 2019
Permeability model of fractured rock with consideration of elastic‐plastic deformation Zhao, Yu; Wang, Chaolin; Bi, Jing Energy Science & Engineering, Vol. 8, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1002/ese3.526	journal	October 2019
Analysis of the Pressure-Pulse Propagation in Rock: a New Approach to Simultaneously Determine Permeability, Porosity, and Adsorption Capacity Wang, Chaolin; Pan, Lehua; Zhao, Yu Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Vol. 52, Issue 11 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-019-01874-w	journal	June 2019
Numerical simulation of enhancing coalbed methane recovery by injecting CO2 with heat injection Fang, Hui-Huang; Sang, Shu-Xun; Liu, Shi-Qi Petroleum Science, Vol. 16, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s12182-018-0291-5	journal	January 2019

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Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
58 GEOSCIENCES
CBM production
CO2 sequestration
CO2-ECBM
Coupled THM model
TOUGH-FLAC