Petroleum Reservoir Evaluation and Development

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Study on physical properties and gas production differences of coalbed methane reservoirs in different structural locations of Wulihou mine field

WANG RUI1, TAN XUEBIN2, CHEN RUIJIE1, HAN YONG1   

  1. 1. Shanxi Lu’an Jinyuan Coalbed Methane Development Co., Ltd., Changzhi, Shanxi 046204, China;
    2. School of Energy Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, Henan 454000, China
  • Received:2025-01-07

Abstract: Identifying the differences in physical properties and gas production of coal reservoirs at different structural locations provides an important basis for the co-development of coalbed methane (CBM). Taking 20 CBM co-production wells in the Wulihou mine field as an example, the structural combination types of reservoirs were classified based on seam floor traces and structural curvature of the target development layers (No.3 + No.4 coal seams and No.15 coal seam). Combined with existing exploration data, the study compared key physical parameters of reservoirs at different structural locations, such as maceral components, adsorption characteristics, coal structure, gas-bearing characteristics, and permeability, and analyzed the drainage and production curve characteristics of typical co-production wells. The results indicated that: (1) the structural combination of coal reservoirs in the study area could be classified into seven types: anticline-anticline, anticline-gentle, syncline-syncline, syncline-gentle, gentle-gentle, gentle-anticline, and gentle-syncline. (2) The differences in maceral components, adsorption characteristics, coal structure, gas-bearing characteristics, and permeability were identified between the No.3 + No.4 coal seams and the No.15 coal seam at different structural locations. The degree of reservoir deformation was strongly correlated with ash content, Langmuir volume, and coal structure. The difference in structural curvature between the No.3 + No.4 and No.15 coal seams was negatively correlated with the difference in gas content, with a relatively small range of gas content variation, but was positively correlated with the difference in permeability, which changed significantly. The differences in gas content (unit: m³/t) across different structural combination types followed the order: gentle-anticline (1.55) > gentle-syncline (1.42) > anticline-gentle (1.41) > gentle-gentle (1.32) > syncline-gentle (1.06) > syncline-syncline (0.77) > anticline-anticline (0.58). The differences in permeability (unit: 10-3 μm2) followed the order: anticline-gentle (0.24) > syncline-gentle (0.21) > gentle-syncline (0.19) = anticline-anticline (0.19) > syncline-syncline (0.17) > gentle-gentle (0.16) > gentle-anticline (0.11). (3) Comparisons of gas production characteristics of co-production wells at different structural locations showed that the anticline-anticline and anticline-gentle types had better gas output, with peak values generally exceeding 1 000 m3/d. The gentle-gentle, gentle-anticline, and gentle-syncline types showed significant production fluctuations, with peak values between 200 and 1 200 m3/d. The syncline-syncline and syncline-gentle types showed poorer gas production performance, with peak values only about 200-500 m3/d.

Key words: Wulihou, multilayer drainage and production, structural curvature, reservoir properties, gas production performance

CLC Number: 

  • TE32