Coal Bed Methane (CBM).pdfVIP

Coal Bed Methane (CBM) Permeability Testing WTN Network Meeting April 28 - 29, 2011 ExxonMobil Exploration / Well Testing Team CBM Flow Characteristics Flow mechanism • Gas desorbs when pressure drops below critical pressure • After gas desorbs, it diffuses through the matrix • Gas migrates into the cleats and fractures Factors that affect system permeability • Cleat system, stress, diffusion, relative permeability, natural fractures other than cleats, heterogeneity Coal bed methane production • Production involves dewatering the formation to lower the pressure to the critical gas-desorption pressure • After first gas to surface, slow initial desorption and relative permeability create a increase in gas rate Gas Rate Water Rate • Cumulate gas production increases for a period of months/years while coal is being dewatered Producing Time (yr) ExxonMobil use only 2 Types of CBM Permeability Testing Drill Stem Test (DST) • Can be performed in both open-hole or cased-hole environment • DST may be performed with high reservoir pressure, high deliverability, and reservoirs with free gas Advantages o Coals may have less near-wellbore damage o Ease of readily obtaining water and gas samples o Confirm gas production early in the program Disadvantages o Relatively high cost compared to other permeability testing methods Slug Test • Inject volume of water into wellbore and measure pressure response as the fluid level returns to equilibrium Advantages o Low cost