Contemplation of Coal Bed Methane in Petroleum Industry

Abstract

The hunger for energy has been on its peak since industrialization. The human race has been trying all hook and crook in order to discover new sources of energy. In today’s world, a minor portion of the energy requirement basket is being filled up by unconventional non-hydrocarbon resources but still the majority of it is filled by unconventional and conventional hydrocarbon resources. The conventional hydrocarbon resources are oil and natural gas while the unconventional hydrocarbon resources include shale gas and coal bed methane. Coal bed methane is one of the most important upcoming unconventional hydrocarbon resources. It is the gas which is adsorbed on coal and is extracted by de-pressuring coal seams through de-watering. The reservoir pressure of CBM reservoirs is very less hence an artificial lift to de-water well is required at the very first day of production. The sand production is very high in CBM wells as sand is used in hydraulic fracturing. To handle the excess sand, the most extensively used artificial lifts are progressive cavity pumps and electrical submersible pumps. In the present study, an analysis of total potential CBM reserves in India and around the world has been made. The paper presents the future prospects of CBM and its effective production.

Keywords: Unconventional, Coal bed methane, production, progressive cavity pumps, hydro-fracturing