SEMINAR: Multiphysics of Coal-Gas Interactions: The Scientific Foundation for Coalbed Methane Extraction and CO2 Storage in Coal

Coalbed Methane (CBM) is naturally occurring methane gas (CH4) in coal seams. Methane was long considered a major problem in underground coal mining but now CBM is recognised as a valuable resource. Australia has vast reserves of coal-bed methane (about 8.6 to 14.3 trillion m3), and has attracted some $20 billion in foreign investment over the past two years alone to develop this resource. CBM recovery can be enhanced by injecting CO2 into the coal seam. Carbon dioxide injected into a coal seam would occupy pore space and also adsorb onto the carbon in the coal at approximately twice the rate of methane (CH4), allowing for potential enhanced gas recovery. This technique is also called ECBM. ECBM has a double goal: the enhanced production of methane and the storage of CO2 in coalbeds. This seminar will present the fundamental principles and the quantifications of coal-gas interactions during ECBM.