energies-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Research on Coalbed Methane and Coal-Measure Gas: Exploration, Exploitation, and Utilization

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "H: Geo-Energy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 June 2024 | Viewed by 641

Special Issue Editors

School of Resources and Safety Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China
Interests: evaluation of coal measure reservoirs; hydraulic stimulation of coal seams; theory and technology of coalbed methane drainage

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Earth Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
Interests: coal reservoir evaluation; drilling fluid and reservoir protection; hydraulic fracture propagation and process optimization; coal fine control; coal mine methane extraction and utilization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of coalbed methane (CBM) and coal-measure gas (CMG) represents a critical development in the evolution of cleaner energy solutions. These unconventional gas reservoirs have immense potential to supplement traditional fossil fuels while significantly reducing environmental impacts. Harnessing coalbed methane and coal-measure gas involves advanced extraction techniques that not only unlock previously inaccessible energy sources but also promote energy security by diversifying fuel resources. Their development underscores a pivotal shift towards sustainable energy practices, aligning with global efforts to mitigate climate change by providing a cleaner, more environmentally friendly energy alternative. This Special Issue entitled "Research on Coalbed Methane and Coal-Measure Gas: Exploration, Exploitation, and Utilization" is dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge and technological innovations in the field of coalbed methane and coal-measure gas.

Our primary aim is to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers, engineers, and practitioners to contribute to the understanding of the geological and engineering aspects of coalbed methane and coal-measure gas. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses studies on exploration techniques, including advanced geophysical methods and remote sensing, to identify optimal reservoirs. It also explores novel extraction technologies, reservoir engineering approaches, and sustainable utilization practices. We welcome both original research and review articles.

Potential topics of interest include but are not limited to, the following:

  • Characterization of coalbed methane and coal-measure gas reservoirs;
  • Evaluation methods and technologies of favorable areas in coalbed methane and coal-measure gas exploration;
  • Advances in coalbed methane and coal-measure gas drilling, fracturing, or drainage;
  • Chemical or biological developments for the enhanced recovery of coalbed methane and coal-measure gas;
  • Reservoir dynamic characterization in coalbed methane and coal-measure gas production;
  • Enhanced gas recovery combined with CO2 geological storage;
  • Advances in coalbed methane and coal-measure gas utilization;
  • Coal mine methane extraction and utilization.

Dr. Rui Li
Dr. Shuaifeng Lyu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • coalbed methane
  • coal-measure gas
  • stimulation measures
  • enhanced gas recovery
  • methane extraction

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 16458 KiB  
Article
Research on the Law of Layered Fracturing in the Composite Roof Strata of Coal Seams via Hydraulic Fracturing
by Bo Wang, Enke Hou, Liang Ma, Zaibin Liu, Tao Fan, Zewen Gong, Yaoquan Gao, Wengang Du, Qiang Liu and Bingzhen Ma
Energies 2024, 17(8), 1941; https://doi.org/10.3390/en17081941 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 267
Abstract
Horizontal wells within the roof are an effective method to develop gas in broken and soft coal seams, and layer-penetrating fracturing is a key engineering method for the stimulating of horizontal wells within the roof of a coal seam. To understand the propagation [...] Read more.
Horizontal wells within the roof are an effective method to develop gas in broken and soft coal seams, and layer-penetrating fracturing is a key engineering method for the stimulating of horizontal wells within the roof of a coal seam. To understand the propagation law of fracture in the composite roof of coal seams, this study conducted research using numerical simulation and physical similarity simulation methods. Furthermore, engineering experiments were carried out at the Panxie coal mine in the Huainan Mining Area and the Luling coal mine in Huaibei Mining Area, to further validate this technology. The numerical simulation results indicated that fracture within the coal seam roof can propagate from the roof to the target coal seam, effectively fracturing the coal seam. Due to the coal seam’s plasticity being greater than that of the roof mudstone, the coal seam forms a broader fracture than the roof. With the increase in pseudo roof mudstone thickness and being under constant fracturing displacement, the energy consumed by the pseudo roof mudstone during fracturing causes a decrease in pore pressure when fracture extends to the coal seam, resulting in a reduction in fracture width. Therefore, the pseudo roof mudstone is an adverse factor for the expansion of hydraulic fracturing. Physical similarity simulation results demonstrated that when horizontal boreholes were arranged within the siltstone of the coal seam roof, were under reasonable vertical distance and high flow rate fracturing via fluid injection conditions, and if the coal seam had a thin pseudo roof mudstone, the fracture could propagate through the direct roof-pseudo roof interface and the pseudo roof-coal seam interface, extending to the lower coal seam. The fracture form was curved and had irregular vertical fractures, indicating that hydraulic fracturing can achieve production enhancement and the transformation of soft and hard coal seams. However, when the coal seam had a thick pseudo roof mudstone, the mudstone posed strong resistance to hydraulic fracturing, making it difficult for the fracture to propagate to the lower coal seam. Therefore, the pseudo roof mudstone plays a detrimental role in hydraulic fracturing and the production enhancement of coal seams. The engineering verification conducted at Panxie coal mine and Luling coal mine showed that by utilizing a construction drainage rate of 7.5 cubic meters per minute at Panxie coal mine, the maximum fracture length reached 218.3 m, with a maximum fracture height of 36.8 m. The maximum daily gas production of a single well reached 1450 cubic meters per day, with a total gas extraction volume of 43.62 × 104 cubic meters across 671 days. At Luling coal mine, utilizing a construction drainage rate of 10 cubic meters per minute, the maximum fracture length reached 169.1 m, with a maximum fracture height of 20.5 m. The maximum daily gas production of a single well reached 10,775 cubic meters per day, with a total gas extraction volume of 590 × 104 cubic meters for 1090 days. This indicated that the fracture within the roof of coal seams can penetrate the composite roof of coal seams and extend to the interior of the coal seams, achieving the purpose of transforming fractured and low-permeability coal seams and providing an effective mode of gas extraction. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop