2022, Volume 18, Issue 11
Engineering >> 2022, Volume 18, Issue 11 doi: 10.1016/j.eng.2022.03.010
Direct Evidence of Coal Swelling and Shrinkage with Injecting CO2 and N2 Using in-situ Synchrotron X-ray Microtomography
a Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2BP, UK
b Deep Earth Energy Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia
c Institute of Theoretical Geophysics, King’s College, Cambridge CB2 1ST, UK
Next Previous
Abstract
Deep coal seams are one of the world’s most widespread deposits for carbon dioxide (CO2) disposal and are generally located near large point sources of CO2 emissions. The injection of CO2 into coal seams has great potential to sequester CO2 while simultaneously enhancing coalbed methane (CO2-ECBM) recovery. Pilot tests of CO2-ECBM have been conducted in coal seams worldwide with favorable early results. However, one of the main technical barriers in coal seams needs to be resolved: Injecting CO2 reduces coal permeability and well injectivity. Here, using in situ synchrotron X-ray microtomography, we provide the first observational evidence that injecting nitrogen (N2) can reverse much of this lost permeability by reopening fractures that have closed due to coal swelling induced by CO2 adsorption. Our findings support the notion that injecting minimally treated flue gas—a mixture of mainly N2 and CO2—is an attractive alternative for ECBM recovery instead of pure CO2 injection in deep coal seams. Firstly, flue gas produced by power plants could be directly injected after particulate removal, thus avoiding high CO2-separation costs. Secondly, the presence of N2 makes it possible to maintain a sufficiently high level of coal permeability. These results suggest that flue-gas ECBM for deep coal seams may provide a promising path toward net-zero emissions from coal mines.
Keywords
CCS ; CO2 ; -ECBM ; Carbon neutrality ; X-ray imaging ; Coal permeability
Figures
Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
References
[ 1 ] Keeling. The Keeling Curve [Internet]. 2020 [cited 2020 Mar 13]. Available from: https://scripps.ucsd.edu/programs/keelingcurve/.
[ 2 ] IPCC. Global Warming of 1.5 C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. Report: IPCC; 2018.
[ 3 ] Bickle MJ. Geological carbon storage. Nat Geosci 2009;2(12):815–8.
[ 4 ] Huppert HE, Neufeld JA. The fluid mechanics of carbon dioxide sequestration. Annu Rev Fluid Mech 2014;46(1):255–72.
[ 5 ] IPCC. IPCC special report on carbon dioxide capture and storage. In: Metz B, Davidson O, de Coninck HC, Loos M, Meyer LA, editors. Prepared by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC; 2005.
[ 6 ] Bui M, Adjiman CS, Bardow A, Anthony EJ, Boston A, Brown S, et al. Carbon capture and storage (CCS): the way forward. Energy Environ Sci 2018;11 (5):1062–176.
[ 7 ] Boot-Handford ME, Abanades JC, Anthony EJ, Blunt MJ, Brandani S, Mac Dowell N, et al. Carbon capture and storage update. Energy Environ Sci 2014;7 (1):130–89.
[ 8 ] IEA. Technology Roadmap: carbon capture and storage Report. Paris: International Energy Agency; 2013.
[ 9 ] Cook PJ editor Geologically storing carbon: learning from the Otway Project experience. Collingwood: CSIRO Publishing; 2014.
[10] Metz B, Davidson O, de Coninck H, Loos M, Meyer L. IPCC special report on carbon dioxide capture and storage. Report. Geneva: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: 2005 Sep.
[11] Liu Y, Rui Z, Yang T, Dindoruk B. Using propanol as an additive to CO2 for improving CO2 utilization and storage in oil reservoirs. Appl Energy 2022;311:118640.
[12] Liu Y, Rui Z. A storage-driven CO2 EOR for net-zero emission target. Engineering. In press.
[13] White CM, Smith DH, Jones KL, Goodman AL, Jikich SA, LaCount RB, et al. Sequestration of carbon dioxide in coal with enhanced coalbed methane recovery a review. Energy Fuels 2005;19(3):659–724.
[14] Mukherjee M, Misra S. A review of experimental research on Enhanced Coal Bed Methane (ECBM) recovery via CO2 sequestration. Earth Sci Rev 2018;179:392–410.
[15] Harpalani S, Prusty BK, Dutta P. Methane/CO2 sorption modeling for coalbed methane production and CO2 sequestration. Energy Fuels 2006;20 (4):1591–9.
[16] Godec M, Koperna G, Gale J. CO2-ECBM: a review of its status and global potential. Energy Procedia 2014;63:5858–69.
[17] Fulton PF, Parente CA, Rogers BA, Shah N, Reznik A. A laboratory investigation of enhanced recovery of methane from coal by carbon dioxide injection. In: Proceedings of the SPE Unconventional Gas Recovery Symposium; 1980 May 18–21; Pittsburgh, PA, USA. Richardson: OnePetro; 1980.
[18] Reznik AA, Singh PK, Foley WL. An analysis of the effect of CO2 injection on the recovery of in situ methane from bituminous coal: an experimental simulation. Soc Pet Eng J 1984;24(05):521–8.
[19] Gunter WD, Gentzis T, Rottenfusser BA, Richardson R. Deep coalbed methane in Alberta, Canada: a fuel resource with the potential of zero greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Convers Manage 1997;38:S217–22.
[20] Stevens SH, Spector D, Riemer P. Enhanced coalbed methane recovery using CO2 injection: worldwide resource and CO2 sequestration potential. In: Proceedings of the SPE International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in China; 1998 Nov 2–6; Beijing, China. Richardson: OnePetro; 1998.
[21] Pan Z, Ye J, Zhou F, Tan Y, Connell LD, Fan J. CO2 storage in coal to enhance coalbed methane recovery: a review of field experiments in China. Int Geol Rev 2018;60(5–6):754–76.
[22] Fujioka M, Yamaguchi S, Nako M. CO2-ECBM field tests in the Ishikari Coal Basin of Japan. Int J Coal Geol 2010;82(3–4):287–98.
[23] Wong S, Law D, Deng X, Robinson J, Kadatz B, Gunter WD, et al. Enhanced coalbed methane and CO2 storage in anthracitic coals—micro-pilot test at south Qinshui, Shanxi, China. Int J Greenh Gas Control 2007;1(2):215–22.
[24] van Bergen F, Pagnier H, Krzystolik P. Field experiment of enhanced coalbed methane-CO2 in the upper Silesian basin of Poland. Environ Geosci 2006;13 (3):201–24.
[25] Reeves SR. The Coal-Seq project: key results from field, laboratory, and modeling studies. In: Rubin ES, Keith DW, Gilboy CF, Wilson M, Morris T, Gale J, Thambimuthu K, editors. the 7th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies; 2004 Sep; Vancouver, Canada. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2004. p. 1399–403.
[26] Fokker PA, van der Meer LGH. The injectivity of coalbed CO2 injection wells. Energy 2004;29(9–10):1423–9.
[27] Karacan CÖ. Heterogeneous sorption and swelling in a confined and stressed coal during CO2 injection. Energy Fuels 2003;17(6):1595–608.
[28] Walker Jr PL, Verma SK, Rivera-Utrilla J, Khan MR. A direct measurement of expansion in coals and macerais induced by carbon dioxide and methanol. Fuel 1988;67(5):719–26.
[29] Zhang X, Ranjith PG, Li D, Perera MSA, Ranathunga AS, Zhang B. CO2 enhanced flow characteristics of naturally-fractured bituminous coals with N2 injection at different reservoir depths. J CO2 Util 2018;28:393–402.
[30] Kiyama T, Nishimoto S, Fujioka M, Xue Z, Ishijima Y, Pan Z, et al. Coal swelling strain and permeability change with injecting liquid/supercritical CO2 and N2 at stress-constrained conditions. Int J Coal Geol 2011;85(1): 56–64.
[31] Zhang G, Ranjith PG, Wu B, Perera MSA, Haque A, Li D. Synchrotron X-ray tomographic characterization of microstructural evolution in coal due to supercritical CO2 injection at in-situ conditions. Fuel 2019;255:115696.
[32] Zhang G, Ranjith PG, Liang W, Haque A, Perera MSA, Li D. Stress-dependent fracture porosity and permeability of fractured coal: an in-situ X-ray tomography study. Int J Coal Geol 2019;213:103279.
[33] Zhang B, Liang W, Ranjith PG, Li Z, Li C, Hou D. Coupling effects of supercritical CO2 sequestration in deep coal seam. Energy Fuels 2019;33(1):460–73.
[34] Orr Jr FM. Onshore geologic storage of CO2. Science 2009;325(5948):1656–8.
[35] Brace WF, Walsh J, Frangos WT. Permeability of granite under high pressure. J Geophys Res 1968;73(6):2225–36.
[36] Heller R, Vermylen J, Zoback M. Experimental investigation of matrix permeability of gas shales. AAPG Bull 2014;98(5):975–95.
[37] Mayo SC, Gureyev TE, Nesterets YI, Thompson DA, Siu KKW, Wallwork K. A dedicated micro-CT beamline for the Australian Synchrotron and the RemoteCT project. J Phys: Conf Ser 2013;463:012002.
[38] Zhang G, Ranjith PG, Perera MSA, Haque A, Choi X, Sampath KSM. Characterization of coal porosity and permeability evolution by demineralisation using image processing techniques: a micro-computed tomography study. J Nat Gas Sci Eng 2018;56:384–96.
[39] Youssef S, Rosenberg E, Gland NF, Kenter JA, Skalinski M, Vizika O, et al. High resolution CT and pore-network models to assess petrophysical properties of homogeneous and heterogeneous carbonates. In: Proceedings of the SPE/EAGE Reservoir Characterization and Simulation Conference; 2007 Oct 28–31; Abu Dhabi, UAE. Richardson: OnePetro; 2007.
[40] Gunter W. Coalbed methane, a fossil fuel resource with the potential for zero greenhouse gas emissions—the Alberta, Canada Program 1996–2009: a summary. Alberta CO2-ECBM research and field pilots summary. Alberta Research Council; 2009.
[41] Mavor MJ, Gunter WD, Robinson JR. Alberta multiwell micro-pilot testing for CBM properties, enhanced methane recovery and CO2 storage potential. In: Proceedings of the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition; 2004 Sep 26–29; Houston, Texas, USA. Richardson: OnePetro; 2004.
[42] Talapatra A, Halder S, Chowdhury AI. Enhancing coal bed methane recovery: using injection of nitrogen and carbon dioxide mixture. Petrol Sci Technol 2021;39(2):49–62.
[43] Stevens SH, Kuuskraa VA, Gale J, Beecy D. CO2 injection and sequestration in depleted oil and gas fields and deep coal seams: worldwide potential and costs. Environ Geosci 2001;8(3):200–9.
[44] Davis SJ, Lewis NS, Shaner M, Aggarwal S, Arent D, Azevedo IL, et al. Net-zero emissions energy systems. Science 2018;360(6396):eaas9793.
[45] Xu X, Song C, Wincek R, Andresen JM, Miller BG, Scaroni AW. Separation of CO2 from power plant flue gas using a novel CO2 ‘‘molecular basket” adsorbent. Fuel Chem Div Prepr 2003;48(1):162–3.
[46] Wong S, Gunter W, Mavor M. Economics of CO2 sequestration in coalbed methane reservoirs. In: Proceedings of the SPE/CERI Gas Technology Symposium; 2000 Apr 3–5; Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Richardson: OnePetro; 2000.
[47] Wong S, Gunter W, Law D, Mavor M. Economics of flue gas injection and CO2 sequestration in coalbed methane reservoirs. In: Williams D, Durie B, McMullan P, Paulson C Smith, A, editors. In: Proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies. Cairns: CSIRO Publishing; 2001. p. 543–8.
京公网安备 11010502051620号
