Cleats and their relation to geologic lineaments and coalbed methane potential in Pennsylvanian coals in Indiana

Cleats and fractures in Pennsylvanian coals in southwestern Indiana were described, statistically analyzed, and subsequently interpreted in terms of their origin, relation to geologic lineaments, and significance for coal permeability and coalbed gas generation and storage. These cleats can be interpreted as the result of superimposed endogenic and exogenic processes. Endogenic processes are associated with coalification (i.e., matrix dehydration and shrinkage), while exogenic processes are mainly associated with larger-scale phenomena, such as tectonic stress.At least two distinct generations of cleats were identified on the basis of field reconnaissance and microscopic study: a first generation of cleats that developed early on during coalification and a second generation that cuts through the previous one at an angle that mimics the orientation of the present-day stress field. The observed parallelism between early-formed cleats and mapped lineaments suggests a well-established tectonic control during early cleat formation. Authigenic minerals filling early cleats represent the vestiges of once open hydrologic regimes. The second generation of cleats is characterized by less prominent features (i.e., smaller apertures) with a much less pronounced occurrence of authigenic mineralization. Our findings suggest a multistage development of cleats that resulted from tectonic stress regimes that changed orientation during coalification and basin evolution.The coals studied are characterized by a macrocleat distribution similar to that of well-developed coalbed methane basins (e.g., Black Warrior Basin, Alabama). Scatter plots and regression analyses of meso- and microcleats reveal a power-law distribution between spacing and cleat aperture. The same distribution was observed for fractures at microscopic scale. Our observations suggest that microcleats enhance permeability by providing additional paths for migration of gas out of the coal matrix, in addition to providing access for methanogenic bacteria.The abundance, distribution, and orientation of cleats control coal fabric and are crucial features in all stages of coalbed gas operations (i.e., exploration and production). Understanding coal fabric is important for coal gas exploration as it may be related to groundwater migration and the occurrence of methanogenic bacteria, prerequisite to biogenic gas accumulations. Likewise, the distribution of cleats in coal also determines pathways for migration and accumulation of thermogenic gas generated during coalification.     

Control and prevention of gas outbursts in coal mines, Riosa–Olloniego coalfield, Spain

Underground coal mines have always had to control the presence of different gases in the mining environment. Among these gases, methane is the most important one, since it is inherent to coal. Despite of the technical developments in recent decades, methane hazards have not yet been fully avoided. This is partly due to the increasing depths of modern mines, where methane emissions are higher, and also to other mining-related circumstances, such as the increase in production rates and its consequences: difficulties in controlling the increasing methane levels, increasing mechanization, the use of explosives and not paying close attention to methane control systems.The main purposes of this paper are to establish site measurements using some critical parameters that are not part of the standard mining-control methods for risk assessment and to analyze the gas behavior of subvertical coal seams in deep mines in order to prevent gas incidents from occurring. The ultimate goal is the improvement in mining conditions and therefore in safety conditions.For this purpose, two different mines were instrumented for mine control and monitoring. Both mines belong to the Riosa–Olloniego coalfield, in the Asturias Central Basin, Spain and the areas instrumented are mined via subhorizontal sublevels at an actual depth of around 1000 m under the overburden of Mount Lusorio.During this research, a property favoring gas outbursts was site measured for the first time in an outburst-prone coal (8th Coalbed), gas pressure and its variations, which contributed to complete the data available from previous characterizations and to set some guidelines for assessing the potential outburst-prone areas. A gas-measurement-tube set has been designed for measuring gas pressure as well as its variation over time as a result of nearby workings and to calculate permeability.The paper establishes the effect of overlapping of works, but it also shows the efficacy of two preventive measures to be applied: high pressure water infusion and the exploitation of a protective coal seam (7th Coalbed), that must be mined preferably two complete sublevels before commencing the advance in the outburst-prone coalbed. Both measures constitute an improvement in the mining sequence and therefore in safety, and should be completed with a systematic measurement to control the risk: gas pressure in the 8th Coalbed in the area of influence of other workings, to establish the most suitable moment to renew the advance. Further researches could focus on ascertaining the permeability, not only in mined areas but also in areas of the mine that are still not affected by mining work and on tuning more finely the ranges of influence of overstress time and overlap distance of the workings of the 7th Coalbed in the 8th Coalbed.     

中国城市固体废弃物甲烷排放研究

The greenhouse effect of methane (CH4) is only inferior to that of carbon dioxide (CO2). As an important anthropogenic emission source, the calculation of the emission amount of CH4 from waste treatment in landfills plays an important role in compiling greenhouse gases inventory and in estimating the climate change effects caused by increasing of greenhouse gases. Based on the previous work, and according to the sampling and analysis on municipal solid waste (MSW) in typical cities, the degradable organic carbon (DOC) percentile was identified in typical cities in recent years. According to the IPCC greenhouse gases inventory guideline and default method of CH4 emission from MSW landfills, and in light of MSW managing situation in different regions, the amount of CH4 emission was calculated. The results show that the amount of CH4 emission decreases geographically from east to west and it increases temporally from 1994 to 2004 in China.     

Regularity and estimation of methane emission from marshland in the Sanjiang Plain

ＲＥＧＵＬＡＲＩＴＹＡＮＤＥＳＴＩＭＡＴＩＯＮＯＦＭＥＴＨＡＮＥＥＭＩＳＳＩＯＮＦＲＯＭＭＡＲＳＨＬＡＮＤＩＮＴＨＥＳＡＮＪＩＡＮＧＰＬＡＩＮ①ＣｕｉＢａｏｓｈａｎ（崔保山）ＭａＸｕｅｈｕｉ（马学慧）ＣｈａｎｇｃｈｕｎＩｎｓｔｉｔｕｔｅｏｆＧｅｏｇｒ...     

煤层割理研究在韩城矿区煤层气评价中的意义

探讨了煤层割理的成因、分类及主要影响因素,分析了韩城矿区主要煤层割理的发育特征及其对煤层气赋存和开发的控制作用。     

鄂尔多斯盆地中部气田奥陶系风化壳气藏天然气来源及混源比计算

对鄂尔多斯盆地中部气田天然气碳同位素资料按不同地区、不同层位进行了分析,认为奥陶系风化壳气藏甲烷碳同位素值与石炭-二叠系气藏的接近,在平面上变化趋势相似,而与风化壳之下奥陶系自生自储的油型气相差较大。奥陶系风化壳气藏的来源是以石炭-二叠系煤成气为主,定量计算表明,在中部气田的大部分地区,石炭-二叠系来源气的比例大于70％。     

初冬季节青藏高原清水河地区甲烷排放率变化(英)

As the globally largest area covered by high altitudinal permafrost, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau may contribute substantially to atmospheric CH4 budget when global warming. Preliminary observations on CH4 emission at Qingshuihe from November 5 to 14, 1995 show that alpine grassland may be a small source for atmospheric CH4 during early winter. The emission rates of CH4 from moist grassland surface varied from-16. 1 to 23. 9 μg. m-2h-1, with an average of 1. 82 μg. m-2h-1. Emission rates of CH4 from water surface of Qingshuihe River were from -21. 0 to 37. 1 μg. m-2h-1, with an average of 1. 56 μg. m-2h-1. The emission rates of CH at 30 to 200 cm in depth ranged from-69. 0 to 36. 0 μg. m-2h-1, with the average rate at these depths varying from -2. 15 to 2. 04 μg' m-2h-1. The mean emission rates of CH4 in the active layer and permafrost indicate the lower part of active layer tends to release CH4, CH4 is absorbed at low rates in the middle section and in the vicinity of permafrost table, and net fluxes of CH4 is emitted from the soils in the upper part. During the observation periods, the methane concentrations in static chambers and emission rates of grassland and water surface displayed noticeable diurnal variations. The water/ice content may play important role in the spatial variations of methane emission rates. The emission rates of methane is weakly correlated with the ground temperatures at sampling depths and air temperatures. The observed emission rates of methane from the comparatively dry and sandy grassland soils are quite low compared with that observed in the permafrost regions in the high latitudes.     

Permeability of coals and characteristics of desorption tests: Implications for coalbed methane production

Desorption tests, conducted before development drilling, can predict early production rates of coalbed methane wells. In this study, results from 136 desorption tests from 30 coreholes are compared to subsequent production histories of surrounding wells. Coals studied are from the Carboniferous Pottsville Formation in the Black Warrior Basin of Alabama, USA. The investigation indicates that the best predictor for gas production is ‘‘gas yield at 120 days, divided by sample depth'. This quotient has a higher correlation with actual gas production than other variables examined, including original reserves in-place. Gas content of coal generally increases with depth. However, coal permeability, and hence the recovery factor, tends to decrease with depth. Therefore, coalbed methane exploration should focus on finding the optimal balance between gas yield and depth. Commercially successful wells are characterized by coals with high gas yields at shallow depths. Desorption tests, especially of slowly-desorbing coals, should be run for a minimum of 120 days, or else should be extrapolated to that time if tests are terminated earlier.     

Computer modeling and simulation of coalbed methane resources

Coal seam gas reservoirs are complex both geologically and in the mechanism of gas production. Understanding these naturally fractured reservoirs for two-phase (gas–water) flow conditions is often limited by a lack of data. This paper illustrates that reservoir simulation is a powerful tool which can be used to determine key data requirements, and how variability in reservoir properties and operating practices affect performance at the field level. The paper presents examples of how reservoir simulation can be used to assess the efficiency of well completions (fracturing or cavitation), identify candidate wells for remedial treatment, examine methane drainage in advance of mining, and assess the impact of errors in measured data on long-term gas production forecasts.     

焦作矿区煤层气开发地质综合评价

应用层次分析法,从影响煤层气开发的各种地质条件出发,对矿区进行了综合地质评价,寻找出有利于煤层气开发的区域。