Transport mechanism of desorbed gas in coalbed methane reservoirs

Abstract

The gas-liquid two-phase flow and mass transfer principle shows that the diffusion caused by concentration difference only happens in a single-phase fluid; gas-liquid two-phase diffluent solution happens in the way of dissolution; and gas-liquid two-phase insoluble or semi- soluble solution flows under differential pressure driving. These facts demonstrate that the transport of desorbed gas through matrix pores is the flow, and it doesn't conform to Fick law. The dissolution, diffusion, nucleation and bubble processes of desorbed gas through depressurization are studied, and the nonlinear flow model of free gas from matrix pores to the cleat and fracture system is established based on force analyses of the gas bubble and the gas column. Research shows that a small amount of desorbed gas diffuses by dissolution; most of them becomes nucleation and bubble, and then flows to the coal cleat and fracture system under the pressure difference driving; considering the existence of the pressure difference between the matrix pores and cleats, the pressure in coal matrix will reduce more slowly, the investigated radius will be shorter, and the outflow lag phenomenon of desorbed gas will appear. The dynamic reserve should be calculated not by using cleat pressure but by the pressure in coal matrix. The mechanism of enhanced methane recovery by CO2 injection is not only replacement but displacement. Improved methane recovery can be obtained by optimizing the production pressure difference, it is not reasonable that the lower formation pressure gives higher methane recovery. Key words: coalbed methane, diffusion, desorption, percolation, development