COAL BED METHANE (CBM)

Presented by

Akash kumar
singh
• Coal has the ability to store gas in significant
amounts, because its surface can absorb gases.
Although the form of coal is solid and it looks like
a hard rock, but there are a lot of pores smaller
than a micron scale, so that coal is like a sponge.
• This condition causes the coal surface becomes so
broad so that it can absorb large amounts of gas.
If the gas pressure is higher, the ability to adsorb
gas coal will also increase.
• Gas trapped in coal mainly consist of methane
gas, so the gas is generally referred to as Coal
Bed Methane or CBM. CBM is classified as an CBM Recovery
unconventional energy
 TOPICS
• a)History of cbm
• b)What is cbm?
• c)The characteristic of cbm
• d)production of cbm
• e)The use of cbm and its impact to
the environmen
 a)History of cbm
• Analyses of drilling records suggest
that coal bed methane was produced
in the eastern kentucky coal field
from wells drilled in the 1950’s that
were mistakenly identified as
conventional gas well.
• Recently, a gas company working in
cooperation with several coal
companies produced coal bed
methane from wells in eastern
companies
 b)WHAT IS CBM
• Coal Bed Methane (CBM) is an
unconventional form of natural gas
found in coal deposits or coal seams.
CMB is formed during the process of
coalification, the transformation of
plant material into coal. It is
considered a valuable energy resource
with reserves and production having
grown nearly every year since 1989.
 c)The characteristic of coal
bed methane
1.Porosity
The porosity of coal bed reservoirs is usually
very small, ranging from 0.1 to 10%.
2. Fracture permeability
The fracture permeability acts as the major
channel for the gas to flow
3.Thickness of formation and initial reservoir
pressure
The thickness of the formation may not be
directly proportional to the volume of gas produced
in some areas
4. Other properties -> coal density, initial gas phase
concentration, critical gas saturation
 d) Production of cbm
• In the coal layer, there are many
fractures (cleats), which formed
during the process
• water and gas flow in the coal layer
through the fracture(cleat)
• The part of the coal which is
surrounded by the cleat is called the
matrix (coal matrix), where most of
the cbm attaches to the pores in
them.
• cbm can come out (desorption) of the matrix
through the cracks, by lowering the water
pressure on the target layer.
• To obtain CBM, wells production made ​by
drilling down from the surface to the coal
layer
• in the soil layer itself, coal has high pressure
then the effect of the pressure drop will
occur when groundwater is pumped around
the coal layer (dewatering) to the surface.
This will cause the methane gas released
from the coal layer and then it will flow to
the surface through the wells production
e) How to produce cbm and
its impact to the
environment
• In the conventional method of CBM
production, economical production can
only be done on good permeability of
coal seams layer.
• But with advances in drilling techniques
to control direction, the direction of the
borehole from the surface can be
determined freely, so that the extended
drilling in the coal layer can be done
 Environmental impacts
• CBM wells are connected by a network of
roads, pipelines, and compressor stations.
Over time, wells may be spaced more
closely in order to extract the remaining
methane. Additionally, the produced
water may contain undesirable
concentrations of dissolved substances.
Water withdrawal may depress aquifers
over a large area and affect groundwater
flows
 What is the environmental
benefit of coalbed methane?
• Coalbed methane is produced
domestically, reducing our need to import
energy. Geologists are aware of the
depositional environments that can
produce coalbed methane, reducing the
cost of extensive exploration. And most
importantly, methane is a relatively clean-
burning source of energy, much cleaner
than coal. All of these factors combine to
make coalbed methane a locally-produced,
affordable source of energy.
 What is the environmental
cost of coalbed methane?
• Coalbed methane production results in
changes to the land, to surface water, and
to ground-water systems. These changes
should be monitored and managed in
order to reduce their impact.
Environmental Impact Statements have
been completed, and although they are
being challenged, they remain a starting
point. With care, it seems that the
environmental costs of coalbed methane
can be reduced.
Thanks for Your
Kind
Attention . . .