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Making the Next Giant Leap in Geosciences
April 10-13, 2011, Houston, Texas, USA
First Coalbed Methane Commercial Exploration in East Kalimantan, Indonesia
(1) SS, Java & CBM Asset, PT Pertamina Hulu Energi, Jakarta, Indonesia.
CBM exploration in East Kalimantan is one of the first commercial exploration in Indonesia. So far there have been drilled three core holes since late 2009 to mid 2010. This drilling was designed to focus on the gas content, and the quality of the coal seams. The target of the drilling is the Balikpapan Formation, with drilling depths range from 450 up to 800 meters.
More than 20 coal seams were identified during the drilling. The thickness of each seam range from 0.5 to 4 meters, with a gross coal thickness up to 90 meters. From petrographic analysis showed the vitrinite content of more than 70% and the vitrinite reflectance 0.53 to 0.69%. The proximate analysis result gave the value of the ash content 0.7 to 14.1% and total moisture content 5-27%, and the measurement result from the desorption tests showed the average value of the gas content range from 2.7 to 7.5 m3/t.
The gas content value and the coal rank is increasing to depth but it is decreasing to the southern part of the area. The coalbed methane potential should be in the northern part of the area with the reservoir target depth from 500-800 meters.