Analysis of Occurrence of Deep Coalbed Methane and Its “Desorption–Diffusion–Seepage” Process
China has abundant deep coalbed methane (CBM) resources; however, high temperature, stress, and reservoir pressure complicate the gas adsorption–desorption–diffusion–seepage processes, severely restricting the development of deep CBM. Through experimental research on adsorption, desorption, diffusion, and seepage behaviors of various coal samples, the control mechanisms of deep coal reservoir properties on CBM production in the Linxing–Shenfu region have been revealed. The results indicate that CBM adsorption and desorption characteristics are jointly controlled by coal rank, ash yield, temperature. and pressure. Among the above conditions, coal rank and pressure exhibit positive effects, while ash yield and temperature show inhibitory effects. Analysis of desorption efficiency based on the Langmuir model further identifies sensitive desorption and rapid desorption stages as key phases for enhancing productivity. Moreover, the gas diffusion mechanism is dynamically evolving, with Knudsen diffusion and Fick diffusion being the main modes during high ground pressure stages, gradually transitioning to the coexistence of Knudsen, transition, and Fick diffusions as pressure decreases. Concurrently, gas–water seepage experiments demonstrate that increasing temperature will reduce the irreducible water saturation and enhance the relative permeability of the gas. Since irreducible water saturation is negatively correlated with relative permeability of gas, the relative permeability of the gas phase, cross-point saturation, and the range of the two-phase co-seepage zone all significantly increases with the increase in temperature. The findings systematically elucidate the regulatory mechanisms of deep coal reservoir properties in the process of “adsorption–desorption–diffusion–seepage,” providing critical theoretical support for optimizing development strategies and enhancing the efficiency of deep CBM development.
Authors
- B.G Zhang
- Sha Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5612-4171)
- Shu Tao
- Tao Jiang
- Li Niu
Institutions
- China University of Geosciences (Beijing) (CN)
- Xinjiang Institute of Engineering (CN)
- Gansu Coalfield Geology Bureau (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Separations
- Published
- 2025-12-30
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/separations13010019
- Primary Topic
- Coal Properties and Utilization
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China