POTENTIAL for COALBED METHANE (CBM) and ENHANCED COALBED METHANE RECOVERY (ECBM) in INDIANA Maria Mastalerz, Indiana Geological Survey, Indiana University, Bloomington
CBM is unconventional gas
U.S. Unconventional Natural Gas Production 1990-2030 (trillion cubic feet) 7 6 History Projections 5 Tight Sands 4 3 2 1 Coalbed Methane Gas Shales 0 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030 Annual Energy Outlook 2007
Billion cubic feet (Bcf) CBM in USA 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Year Source, EIA, 2009
Illinois Basin among the CBM basins in US 0.6 trillion m 3 21 trillion m 3
~21 TCF of CBM Illinois Basin shallow low maturity (high volatile bituminous) coals
Coal in Indiana
producing area 1.5 Tcf Seelyville alone, ~5 Tcf - total
Distribution of coal gas compositional and isotopic fingerprints More microbial CH 4 <20 - thermogenic -90 to -45 - biogenic -30 to -50 - thermogenic ~ 3 cm 3 /g (100 scf/ton), ~ 99% of microbial origin Strąpoć et al., 2008, IJCG
Geochemical and isotopic signatures of coal gas: CH 4 generated microbially via CO 2 -reduction Strąpoć et al., 2007, OG
Basin history and multi-parameter model for microbial methanogenesis MESO- ZOIC 60 C Temperature o.k. Microbial Brine dilution Meteoric water access Early T-genic gas Slow colonization and onset of methanogenesis
Microbial colonization and onset of methanogenesis Inter and post glacial colonization and onset of CH4-generation in the Illinois Basin (similarly to the New Albany Shale and Antrim Shale in Michigan Basin (McIntosh, 2003) Initiated by brine dilution with ice sheet melt-waters Similar activation of methanogenesis in coal beds observed in other basins: Black Warrior, San Juan, Alberta
Microscopic features of methanogenic enrichments of the CBM co-produced water suggest presence of methanogenic Archaea 1 μm x400 Very small cell size typical of Archaea Epifluorescence of F420 coenzyme Renewable resource??
16S rrna study of coal water and methanogenic enrichment: dominant methanogen - CO 2 /H 2 utilizing Methanocorpusculum SEM image of the CO 2 -reduction methanogenic enrichment (Methanocorpusculum) Cell membrane intact polar lipids (IPLs) Strąpoć et al., 2008, AEM
hopanes (biomarkers, hard to biodegrade) alkyl cyclohexanes: coal wax (Dong et al., 1993) and in microbes norhopane hopane me-c 24 me-c 25 me-c 26 me-c 23 me-c 27 monomethylalkanes: found in modern and paleo microbial mats signatures (Kenig, 2000) C 17 C 16 n-alkanes, coal bitumen: trace amounts (similar to biomarkers e.g. hopanes), only C 15 C 25 present n-c 18 n-c19 n-c 20 C 15 biphytane n-c 17 n-c 15 n-c 16 pristane phytane isoprenoids: hard to biodegrade, Pri and Phy ~ ½ of C 17 and C 18?
How much coalbed gas do we have? CBM in the Illinois Basin: - 21 Tcf (GRI) - 7.8 Tcf (DOE) recoverable CBM in Indiana - 1.1 Tcf - Seelyville Coal in Indiana (Drobniak et al., 2004) - 5 Tcf in Indiana? 17.5 billion tons available 39.2 billion tons restricted
How much gas do we produce?
Enhanced Coal Bed Methane Recovery (ECBM) Enhanced coal bed methane recovery is a method of producing additional coalbed methane from a source rock (coal bed), similar to enhanced oil recovery applied to oil fields; If the gas is injected into a coal bed, then methane could be liberated and extracted. Typical injection gases include nitrogen and carbon dioxide; Growing interest in carbon sequestration brought considerable interest into integrated ECBM recovery/carbon sequestration projects.
Power generation, CO 2 sequestration & ECBM Power plant CO 2 CH 4 CH 4 CH 4
CO 2 emissions from stationary sources in Indiana Emission sources (2009 data) CO 2 emissions (metric tons/year) Coal-burning electric power plants 117,736,810 Major coal-burning industrial and institutional plants 4,378,999 Natural gas-burning industrial generators 39,925,000 Oil-burning industries 1,954,741 Wood-burning industries 399,672 TOTAL emissions from point sources 164,395,222 Coal-burning electric power plants 71.62% Natural-gas industrial generators 24.29% Major coal-burning industrial and institutional plants 2.66% Wood-burning industries 0.24% Oil-burning industries 1.19% Total Indiana CO 2 emissions: 250 mln tons a year
Gas storage in coal Dual-porosity system: matrix and cleats Gas stored by adsorption on coal surfaces within the matrix 1 lb of coal (15 in 3 ) contains 100,000 1,000,000 ft 2 of surface area Gas production by desorption, diffusion and Darcy flow
Gas Transport Mechanisms (matrix flow) Microporosity Mesoporosity Macroporosity (fracture flow) Matrix: Gas Desorption, Diffusion, Darcy-flow Fracture: Darcy-Flow
Adsorption capacities of Indiana coals CH 4 adsorption: corresponding CH 4 adsorption capacities range from approximately 1.6 to 6.3 m 3 /t (50 to 200 scf/ton).
Adsorption capacities of Indiana coals CO 2 adsorption: for reservoir conditions, the range of CO 2 adsorption capacities (daf basis) ranges from close to 6.2 m 3 /t (200 scf/ton) for the lowest pressure to almost 22.0m 3 /t (700 scf/ton) for the highest pressures. The ratio of CO 2 to CH 4 adsorption capacities varies with pressure. At 2.07MPa (300 psi), the CO 2 /CH 4 ratio ranges from 3.7 to 5.7 for the coals studied.
Objective: to assess the potential of deep, uneconomic coalbeds located within the Illinois Basin to (1) sequester CO 2 and (2) produce methane from the coals as a by-product of the sequestration process (enhanced coalbed methane [ECBM] recovery).
Methods: - We reviewed physical and chemical attributes of the coals that are important in assessing their ability to adsorb and retain CO 2. - The depth and thickness of the coalbeds, as well as selected coal quality parameters (e.g., ash, moisture), were analyzed and interpreted in terms of the availability of the coal for CO 2 storage. - The criteria for minability were reviewed and applied to the set of seven major coalbeds in the Illinois Basin. - Coals were also assessed relative to their adsorption capacities and their response to CO 2 flooding experiments. - Storage capacities were modeled. - Final estimates of ECBM and CO 2 storage volumes were made using GIS-generated map layers.
CO 2 sequestration screening criteria for designating areas not desirable for mining (unminable) 1) 91-152 m (300-500 ft) deep: No CO 2 sequestration, coalbed methane (CBM) target only. 2) 152-305 m (500-1,000 ft) deep: Sequestration or ECBM target in coals between 0.46 and 1.1 m (1.5 and 3.5 ft) thick. Coals greater than 1.1 m (3.5 ft) thick are considered minable. 3) Greater than 305 m (1,000 ft) deep: Sequestration target in coals greater than 0.46 m (1.5 ft) thick (all coals assumed to be unminable at this depth). While establishing these criteria for CO 2 sequestration and ECBM production potential, these assumptions, among others, were considered: 1) the minimum thickness for identifying, perforating, and producing CH 4 from a coal seam is 0.46 m (1.5 ft), regardless of depth, and 2) the current minimum minable thickness by underground coal equipment is 1.1 m (3.5 ft).
Thickness and depth maps were used to separate minable from unminable (potentially suitable for CO 2 sequestration) areas within each coal bed. The depth and thickness of coal beds were the basis for the calculating CO 2 volumes that could be potentially injected.
The depth and thickness of coalbeds were the basis for calculating CO 2 volumes that could be potentially injected. 1) 91-152 m (300-500 ft) deep: No CO 2 sequestration, coalbed methane (CBM) target only. 2) 152-305 m (500-1,000 ft) deep: Sequestration or ECBM target in coals between 0.46 and 1.1 m (1.5 and 3.5 ft) thick. Coals greater than 1.1 m (3.5 ft) thick are considered minable. 3) Greater than 305 m (1,000 ft) deep: Sequestration target in coals greater than 0.46 m (1.5 ft) thick (all coals assumed to be unminable at this depth).
The remaining coal resource in the Illinois Basin: 413 billion tonnes (455 billion tons). 142 billion tonnes (157 billion tons) (or 34.5%) meets the minable criteria of being less than 305 m (1000 ft) deep and greater than 1.1 m (3.5 ft) thick. 271 billion tonnes (298 billion tons) are potentially available as a CO 2 sequestration reservoirs.
COMET 2 software CO 2 storage from 1.6 to 4.6 billion t (1.8 to 5.1 billion tons) in Illinois Basin coals 90 mln tons of CO 2 storage in Indiana (~3%) - 164 mln tons a year from stationary sources in Indiana - Gibson Station emits ~ 22 mln CO 2 a year (3100 MW capacity) 660 mln for 30 years - Edwardsport Gasification 4.5 mln a year (630 MW capacity) 150 mln for 30 years
70-280 billion m 3 (2.4-9.8 tcf) of CH 4 is potentially recoverable as a result of CO 2 ECBM practices in the Illinois Basin Total recoverable ECBM and CO2 storage per acre of the coal increases towards the deeper areas of the basin, where there are more coal seams and the total coal thickness is largest ~0.15 tcf of CH 4 in Indiana
Illinois Basin coal beds have reservoir temperatures ranging from less than 12ºC (55ºF) to a little more than 26ºC (80ºF) in isolated areas in Illinois, where geothermal anomalies are present with temperature gradients up to 2.4 ºF/100 ft. This temperature range indicates a gaseous phase of CO 2 upon injection into reservoir conditions.
A hydrostatic pressure map, generated from the depth of the Springfield Coal, assuming totally saturated conditions with freshwater hydrostatic gradient of 0.43, shows that the pressure ranges from less than 689 kpa (100 psi) close to the margin of the Basin to more than 3,792 kpa (550 psi) in tectonically engaged areas in western Kentucky. Such a pressure range is far below the critical point, placing the coals studied in the gas state with regard to phase characteristics of CO 2.
Oil and Gas Field Distribution In Indiana
Oil Production
Gas Production
A NW TRENTON STRUCTURE A' SE A MICHIGAN INDIANA B Bowling Green Fault Zone OHIO D U B' IGS # SDH-323 Williams P # 116607 Sec. 20-25N-12E Wells County, Indiana GR N LIMA-INDIANA TREND (Trempealeau) Premier Oil #1 Breymier P # 65 Sec. 5, Jackson Twp. Drake County, Ohio GR FDC 800 900 A' 0 0 50 Miles 30 Km 800 1000 UPPER ORDOVICIAN PRODUCTION Oil Gas Keith (1986, 1989) 900 1100 1000 Nipsco #3 Berger P # 24272 Sec. 18-34N-3E Marshall County, Indiana GR 1200 N marker 1100 1200 1200 1300 1400 1300 1500 1400 1500 1600 300 feet Structural Cross Section - Indiana/Ohio Datum: Sea Level 1700 1800 Royal Center Fault 0 0 15 miles Keith and Wickstrom (1992)
Trenton Field Summary 1890: production began 1915: production essentially over Cumulative oil > 105 MMBO million barrels of oil Cumulative gas > 980 BCFG billion cubic feet of gas Covers 17% of Indiana land (43,000 mi 2 ) 36,259 wells by end of 1916 (Barrett, 1907) 24,103 wells accounted for in PDMS Depth of Trenton/Black River pay: 800-1,300 ft
Trenton Field Reservoir Characteristics Reservoir pressure compromised, highly depleted Porosity generally in upper 100 ft of Trenton Reservoir Rock: Dolostone Typical porosity range: 0.3-10%, < 1% common Typical permeability range: 0.3-100 md, < 10 md common Both porosity and permeability are highly variable Recoverable hydrocarbons left in place:??
Enhanced Oil Recovery Perspective Depths 800 1300 feet Pressures 384 559 psi Temperature No organic matter to adsorb gas Variable permeability and porosity Unknown recoverable hydrocarbon resources Past completion practices Potential for enhanced oil recovery????
THANK YOU Monitoring well (M-3) portable generator Ground water Monitoring well booster pump pump skid CO 2 storage tank heater Butt cleat 98-5 engineer 148-5 Ground water Monitoring well Ground water Monitoring well Field scale CO 2 injection - Tanquary Site tool trailer Monitoring well (M-2A) Ground water Monitoring well Face cleat 104-11 Injection well (I-1B) office trailer 52-4 Monitoring well (M-1) Tanquary Field ECBM Site Plan and Equipment Layout Updated 07.22.2008