IPA12-E-109

PROCEEDINGS, INDONESIAN PETROLEUM ASSOCIATION

Thirty-Sixth Annual Convention & Exhibition, May 2012
A NEW MODELING OF CBM WELLBORE INTEGRITY BASED ON GEOLOGY, GEOPHYSICS,
RESERVOIRS, DRILLING AND PRODUCTION ENGINEERING
Bonar Tua Halomoan Marbun*
Samuel Zulkhifly Sinaga*
Lamdamatra Arliyando*
Nugroho Triveda Fajri*

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION

Unlike conventional sandstone reservoirs, where the

gas is found in a free state within the pore structure
of the rock, in CBM the methane gas is adsorbed
onto the internal structure of the coal, which allows
a significant amount of gas to be stored in the coal
rock. CBM now becomes more attractive for
exploration and exploitation because of higher gas
demands around the world. A conventional CBM
production method can only be economical in coal
seams with good porosity, permeability and natural
fractures.

CBM is one of non-conventional reservoir systems

(Figure 1). The term CBM refers to methane
adsorbed into the solid matrix of the coal. It is
called 'sweet gas' because of its lack of hydrogen
sulfide. The presence of this gas is well-known
from its occurrence in underground coal mining,
where it presents a serious safety risk. Coalbed
methane, often referred to as CBM, is distinct from
typical sandstone or other conventional gas
reservoirs, as the methane is stored within the coal
by a process called adsorption (the distinctions
between the CBM and a conventional gas reservoir
are shown in table 1). The methane is in a nearliquid state, lining the inside of pores within the
coal (called the matrix). The open fractures in the
coal (called the cleats) can also contain free gas or
can be saturated with water.

It is a common procedure to conduct a wellbore

integrity study in oil and gas well planning. The
study will incorporate geologic, geophysics and
reservoir properties to establish the target and
design of drilling and well completion. In terms of
CBM production, while there are similarities
between oil and gas reservoirsand CBM, there are
also differences that affect the planning and design
principal of a CBM well and field.
Those
differences will be mapped in a wellbore integrity
aspect in CBM well construction, which
distinguishes CBM from oil and gas design.
Developments in directional, horizontal and
multilateral wells have delivered new breakthroughs
to replace vertical drilling systems in CBM drilling,
to optimize gas production. To minimize risks and
costs in CBM drilling, an analytical comparison
study of those drilling methods is needed. This
study presents a new modeling of wellbore integrity
and its influence on CBM well construction and
design, which provides an optimum planning
strategy for CBM drilling engineering and well
completion .
Keywords: CBM drilling, Wellbore Integrity, CBM
Well Construction
*

Institute of Technology Bandung

CBM are relatively abundant in the world, but

require special technology for exploration and
exploitation, rather than those applicable to a
conventional gas reservoir (i.e., sandstones and
carbonates). In a conventional gas reservoir, the gas
is trapped in formation (the formation acting as
storage only), while the source of the gas is source
rock (shale), where the gas migrates to the reservoir
rock. In CBM, coal acts as both the source of the
gas and the storage reservoir (the gas source also
might also come from shale and gas migrating to a
coal system). Most of the gas in a CBM system is
not in a free state as in a conventional gas reservoir,
but a large amount of gas is adsorbed onto the
internal structure of coal (Maricic and Mohaghegh,
2008).
CBM is often produced at shallow depths and is
often produced with large volumes of water of
variable quality. It is often produced through a
borehole that allows gas and water to be brought to
the surface. CBM resources represent valuable
volumes of natural gas within and outside of areas