Laboratory Studies on Permeability of Coals Using Briquettes: Understanding Underground Storage of CO₂

Abstract

The work presents the laboratory studies on permeability of two bituminous coal briquettes under confining pressure conditions. The research was carried out in order to assess the possibility of using bituminous coal as a sorbent for CO2 storage in underground seams. Coal permeability tests were carried out on an original apparatus for testing seepage processes under isobaric conditions on samples subjected to confining pressure. In order to determine the impact of the load on the coal briquettes’ permeability, the tests were carried out at four confining pressures: 1.5, 10, 20 and 30 MPa. The obtained results showed that the coal permeability decreases with an increase in confining pressure. At depths below 250 m, the coal can be a rock poorly permeable to CO2, and under such conditions, the applicability of technologies related to the underground storage of CO2 to coal seams is limited or even impossible.

Keywords

• bituminous coal
• permeability
• CO₂ sequestration
• coal briquette