Determining Coalbed Methane Production and Composition from Individual Stacked Coal Seams in a Multi-Zone Completed Gas Well

Nino Ripepi, Kyle Louk, Joseph Amante, Charlies Schlosser, Xu Tang and Ellen Gilliland
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Nino Ripepi: Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
Kyle Louk: Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
Joseph Amante: Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
Charlies Schlosser: Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
Xu Tang: Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research Center, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA
Ellen Gilliland: Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-8

Abstract: This work proposes a novel and cost-effective approach to determine coalbed methane (CBM) production and composition from individual coal seams in a multi-zone completed CBM well. The novel method uses water to cover individual coal seams in a low pressure CBM well followed by an Echometer fluid level survey to determine the water level. Corresponding gas flow measurements and natural gas chromatography analysis are used to determine gas production and composition from unique zones. A field test using this technology is conducted in Central Appalachia for a multi-zone CBM well containing 18 coal seams. Test results show that the shallow coal seams contribute the majority of the total CBM production in this multi-zone well, and the deeper coal seams contain more heavy hydrocarbons like ethane and propane.

Keywords: multi-zone CBM well; CBM production; CBM composition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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