Crisman Annual Report 2009 - Harold Vance Department of ...
Crisman Annual Report 2009 - Harold Vance Department of ...
Crisman Annual Report 2009 - Harold Vance Department of ...
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Potential for CO 2<br />
Sequestration and Enhanced Coalbed Methane Production, NW<br />
Black Warrior Basin<br />
Objectives<br />
This project is going to assess the potential for<br />
CO 2<br />
sequestration and enhanced coalbed methane<br />
(ECBM) production <strong>of</strong> the Pottsville formation coals.<br />
The ultimate goal is to rank Black Warrior basin CBM<br />
fields by their potential for pr<strong>of</strong>itability and to select<br />
a pilot site that is suitable for injection <strong>of</strong> CO 2<br />
at a<br />
commercial scale <strong>of</strong> up to 50 MMcf/d. The assessment<br />
will address technical issues, such as CO 2<br />
injection<br />
rates, injection volumes and pressures, number <strong>of</strong><br />
wells, and well spacing.<br />
as evaluation <strong>of</strong> the CO 2<br />
sequestration and ECBM in<br />
this area becomes more commercial.<br />
Approach<br />
We will design study cases to optimize the production<br />
and the sequestration, which includes well spacing,<br />
completion layers, dewatering time, injecting rate,<br />
etc. We will collect the data for the Blue Creek field.<br />
We will also specify the reservoir properties and set<br />
up the model <strong>of</strong> the formation.<br />
Accomplishments<br />
Our simulation study was based on a 5-spot well<br />
pattern 40-ac well spacing. For the entire Blue<br />
Creek field <strong>of</strong> the Black Warrior basin, if 100% CO 2<br />
is injected into the Pratt, Mary Lee and Black Creek<br />
coal zones, enhanced methane resources recovered<br />
are estimated to be 0.3 Tcf, with a potential CO 2<br />
sequestration capacity <strong>of</strong> 0.88 Tcf. The methane<br />
recovery factor is estimated to be 68.8%, if the three<br />
coal zones are completed but produced one by one.<br />
Approximately 700 wells may be needed in the field.<br />
For multi-layered completed wells, the permeability<br />
and pressure are important in determining the<br />
breakthrough time, methane produced, and CO 2<br />
injected. Dewatering and soaking do not benefit<br />
the CO 2<br />
sequestration process, but do allow higher<br />
injection rates. Permeability anisotropy affects CO 2<br />
injection and enhanced methane recovery volumes<br />
<strong>of</strong> the field.<br />
We recommend a 5-spot pilot project with a maximum<br />
well BHP <strong>of</strong> 1,000 psi at the injector, a minimum<br />
well BHP <strong>of</strong> 500 psi at the producer, a maximum<br />
injection rate <strong>of</strong> 70 Mscf/D, and a production rate <strong>of</strong><br />
35 Mscf/D.<br />
Significance<br />
For environmental and economical factors, it is<br />
feasible to have several ECBM programs in Black<br />
Warrior Basin. These programs are win-win projects<br />
Coalbed methane fields in the Black Warrior Basin, Alabama (from Pashin<br />
et al. 2004).<br />
Project Information<br />
2.4.22 Evaluation <strong>of</strong> Potential for CO 2<br />
Sequestration and<br />
CO 2<br />
ECBM, Pottsville Formation, Black Warrior Basin<br />
Contacts<br />
Walter B. Ayers<br />
979.845.2447<br />
walt.ayers@tamu.edu<br />
Maria Barrufet<br />
979.845.0314<br />
maria.barrufet@pe.tamu.edu<br />
Ting He<br />
CRISMAN INSTITUTE<br />
<strong>Crisman</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> <strong>2009</strong><br />
57
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