Date

2007

Author

Sınayuç, Çağlar

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The increased level of greenhouse gases due to human activity is the main factor for climate change. CO2 is the main constitute among these gases. Subsurface storage of CO2 in geological systems such as coal reservoirs is considered as one of the promising perspectives. Coal can be safely and effectively utilized to both store CO2 and recover CH4. By injecting CO2 into the coal beds, methane is released with CO2 adsorption in the coal matrix and this process is known as enhanced coal bed methane recovery (ECBM). Zonguldak Coal Basin is one of the Turkey’s important coal resources. Since the coal seams in Bartın-Amasra field are found relatively deeper parts of the basin comparing to other places, this basin was not studied detailed enough yet. Bartın-Amasra basin was found convenient for enhanced coalbed methane recovery. The lithologic information taken from the Turkish Hard Coal Enterprise (TTK) was examined and the depths of the coal seams and the locations of the wells were visualized to perform a reliable correlation between seams existed in the area. According to the correlations, 63 continuous coal layers were found. A statistical reserve estimation of each coal layer for methane was made by using Monte Carlo simulation method. Uncertainty is an important parameter in risk analysis, for this reason the results were determined at probabilities of P10, P50 and P90. Enhanced coalbed methane recovery was simulated with CMG-GEM module using Coal Layer #26 which has more initial gas in place. The effects of adsorption, cleat spacing, compressibility, density, permeability, permeability anisotropy, porosity and water saturation parameters were examined in enhanced coalbed methane recovery by the simulation runs. The initial methane in place found in all these coal layers both in free and adsorbed states were estimated using probabilistic calculations resulted in possible reserve (P10) of 72.97 billion scf, probable reserve (P50) of 47.74 billion scf and proven reserves (P90) of 30.46 billion scf. Since the Amasra coal reservoir is not saturated with water, almost 10% of the total gas in place was found to be in the cleats as free gas. Coal layer #26 has an area of 4099 acres, average thickness of 6.23 ft and depth of 545 m (Karadon formation). P50 reserve estimation was 6.47 billion scf in matrix and 0.645 billion scf in fracture. Although the decrease in cleat porosity was less when shrinkage and swelling effects included, the decrease in cleat permeability as a function of porosity diminished the methane production. Cumulative methane production was enhanced with the injection of carbon dioxide (ECBM) approximately 23% than that of CBM recovery. Although closing the wells to production because of CO2 breakthrough had a negative effect on methane production initially, there was no difference between ultimate methane productions whether the wells remained open or closed, but more carbon dioxide was sequestered when the production ceased at the wells. Injected carbon dioxide amount of 5192 tonnes/year in base case was only capable to sequester only 0.3% of the yearly carbon dioxide emission of Zonguldak Çatalağzı Power Plant nearby. Considering the gas in place capacity of the coal layer #26 as 15% of the resource area-A, it can be said that the project aiming ECBM recovery rather than carbon dioxide sequestration would be successful. In spite of water saturated coal reservoirs where the water production is required initially, it can be possible to start immediately the injection of CO2 with methane production for a dry coal reservoir. Cleat permeability being one of the most crucial parameter in the coal reservoir affected the rate of methane production. The more free gas was found in higher porosity cleat systems. Although the cumulative methane production was increased when the cleat porosity rose, methane recovery percentages were remained almost constant. The lower the cleat spacing the higher the rate of transfer between fracture and matrix was observed. The rate of gas desorption from the coal matrix and subsequent diffusion to both butt and face cleats was higher than the rate of flow in the face cleats, then production was flow-limited, pressure-driven and was defined by Darcy’s Law. The cumulative CH4 production was higher when the coal was denser. The change in coal compressibility affected slightly the cleat porosity and therefore the cleat permeability due to the change in reservoir pressure. Langmuir volume is defined as maximum adsorption capacity. Kozlu formation (deeper than Karadon formation) having lower Langmuir volume resulted in higher ultimate recovery because of lower Langmuir pressure than that of Karadon formation. In base case (Karadon formation), although the higher Langmuir volume was used, less methane production was observed. Permeability anisotropy generated the CO2-CH4 front in elliptic shape.

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http://etd.lib.metu.edu.tr/upload/12608596/index.pdf
https://hdl.handle.net/11511/17244

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Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis