--> Abstract: Evaluation of Coal-Bed Methane Potential of Columbia, by Mario Garcia-Gonzalez; #90914(2000)

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Mario Garcia-Gonzalez1
(1) Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia

Abstract: Evaluation of coal-bed methane potential of Columbia

Three large regions of Colombia—the Cesar-Rancheria Basin, the Cordillera Oriental, and the Cauca Valley Basin—contain by virtue of their tremendous coal tonnage a large unrecognized coal-bed methane resource. However, this gas resource has been forgotten by the oil and gas industry of Colombia.

In the Cesar—Rancheria Basin there are two large coal deposits, The Cerrejon and La Jagua, of Paleocene age. The Cerrejon area contains 55 coal-beds with some beds as thick as 25 meters. The gas resources of the Cerrejon area are estimated in 10 TCF. The la Jagua area present 60 coal-beds, some coal-beds are 10 meters thick. The gas resources are estimated in 4 TCF.

In the cordillera Oriental there are two regions with coal deposit: The Cundinamarca-Boyaca region, where the Guaduas Formation of Maestrichtian to Paleocene age contains the largest coalbed resource of Colombia with a coalbed methane resource of 10 TCF. The coal-bearing region extends along the axis of the Cordillera Oriental. The Norte de Santander region has coal-beds ranging in age from Maestrichtian to Lower Oligocene. This area presents a large anticline-syncline structure with a gas coalbed methane resource of 1 TCF.

In the Cauca Valley Basin the Guachinte Formation of Eocene to Oligocene age contains coal-beds characterized by a high hydrogen index, which are an excellent resource of methane and wet gases. The gas resource of this basin is 6.2 TCF.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90914©2000 AAPG Annual Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana