Title: Influence and control of coal facies on physical properties of the coal reservoirs in Western Guizhou and Eastern Yunnan, China

Authors: Song Li; Dazhen Tang; Zhejun Pan; Hao Xu

Addresses: The Coalbed Methane Reservoir Laboratory of National Engineering Center, School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China; CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia ' The Coalbed Methane Reservoir Laboratory of National Engineering Center, School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China ' CSIRO Earth Science and Resource Engineering, Clayton, Victoria, 3168, Australia ' The Coalbed Methane Reservoir Laboratory of National Engineering Center, School of Energy Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

Abstract: Western Guizhou and Eastern Yunnan have abundant coal resources, and they are considered as the most prospective areas for coalbed methane (CBM) development in Southern China. To explore the potential of CBM production in these areas, this paper identifies the plane distribution of coal facies, and analyses its control on the physical properties of coal reservoirs. Four types of coal facies including a wet forest swamp, an intergradation forest swamp, a drained forest swamp, and a fresh-water peat swamp were distinguished. The results show that coal facies play a significant role in the control of the coal reservoir properties for coals with similar rank. [Received: September 17, 2012; Accepted: March 18 2013]

Keywords: coal facies; coal reservoirs; pore-fracture structures; adsorption capacity; seepage capacity; coalbed methane; CBM; China; physical properties; control; wet forest swamps; intergradation forest swamps; drained forest swamps; freshwater peat swamps.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2014.064837

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2014 Vol.8 No.2, pp.221 - 234

Received: 08 Oct 2012
Accepted: 18 Mar 2013
Published online: 30 Sep 2014 *

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