(2) Permanent Address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506-6103

This paper deals with the influence of swelling and shrinkage of coal on the production of methane from, and sequestration of carbon dioxide in, a coalbed reservoir. A three-dimensional swelling and shrinkage model was developed. It is based on constitutive equations that account for coupled fluid pressure-deformation behavior of a porous medium that undergoes swelling and shrinkage. The swelling and shrinkage strains are computed on the basis of the amounts of different gases (e.g., CO₂, CH₄) sorbed or desorbed. The amounts of sorption and desorption are computed from measured isotherms with the aid of the Ideal Adsorbed Solution model for mixed gases. The permeability of the reservoir is modified according to the swelling-shrinkage model.

The paper presents numerical results for the influence of swelling and shrinkage on reservoir performance during injection of carbon dioxide. The paper includes results from a number of examples, and analysis of a field injection into a coal seam at a site in the San Juan basin. Results show that with the incorporation of swelling and shrinkage into the analysis, it is possible to get a better history-match of production data. Results also show that coal swelling can reduce the injection volumes of carbon dioxide significantly. The interpretation of field data with the new swelling-shrinkage model shows that the coal swelling during carbon dioxide sequestration in coal-seams is an important factor that can influence field performance.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90059©2006 AAPG Eastern Section Meeting, Buffalo, New York