Estimation of microcracking in coal during methane desorption
- Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences
Abstract
At present, when a number of industrial regions producing coal are experiencing a shortage of gas fuel, the problem of industrial production of methane at coal deposits is urgent. To solve it, it is necessary to investigate a number of fundamental scientific problems. One of the main tasks is to establish the patterns of decay of the natural system "coal - methane" and the migration of methane to mining wells. According to the views prevailing among many experts, almost all of the methane is in the coal in the absorbed (dissolved) state, and the coal bed is initially gas-tight. Therefore, not in all cases, drilled wells can give methane in the required volume. This is evidenced by field experiments. Some gas production wells produce little methane. Other wells, such as those in the coal fields of the San Juan Basin, have very high gas yields.
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