Geologic evaluation of critical production parameters for coalbed methane resources. Part 1. San Juan Basin. Annual report, August 1988-July 1989

Technical Report · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:6990852

Ayers, W B; Kaiser, W R; Ambrose, W A; Swartz, T E; Laubach, S E

In the San Juan Basin, Fruitland Formation coal seams contain an estimated 43 to 49 Tcf of methane. With more than 500 producing coalbed methane wells and approximately 1,000 wells scheduled for drilling in 1990, the basin is one of the most active areas of coalbed methane exploration and production in the United States. Among the most important geologic factors affecting the occurrence and producibility of coalbed methane are depositional setting, structural attitude and fracturing of the coal, and regional hydraulic setting. In the second year of the study, the Bureau of Economic Geology evaluated the depositional setting and structure of Fruitland coal seams, which are both source rocks and reservoirs for coalbed methane, throughout the basin. The report summarizes the regional tectonic setting of the San Juan Basin; describes the Cretaceous stratigraphy, structure, and basin evolution; relates these factors to Fruitland coal and coalbed methane occurrence; describes studies of lineaments, fractures, and cleats; presents hydrodynamic controls on the producibility of coalbed methane from the Fruitland Formation; summarizes production from the Fruitland Formation; and evaluates geologic and hydrologic controls on coalbed methane producibility.

• Research Organization: Texas Univ., Austin, TX (USA). Bureau of Economic Geology
• OSTI ID: 6990852
• Report Number(s): PB-90-183229/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
011000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
03 NATURAL GAS
030200 -- Natural Gas-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
ALKANES
COAL DEPOSITS
COAL SEAMS
COLORADO
CRETACEOUS PERIOD
DEGASSING
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCE DEVELOPMENT
FEDERAL REGION VI
FEDERAL REGION VIII
FLUID MECHANICS
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
HYDROCARBONS
HYDRODYNAMICS
HYDROLOGY
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
MECHANICS
MESOZOIC ERA
METHANE
MINERAL RESOURCES
NATURAL GAS DEPOSITS
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PERMEABILITY
PROCESSING
PROGRESS REPORT
RECOVERY
REGIONAL ANALYSIS
RESOURCE POTENTIAL
RESOURCES
ROCKS
SANDSTONES
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
STRATIGRAPHY
TECTONICS
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING