Dataset Information

Integration of vertical and in-seam horizontal well production analyses with stochastic geostatistical algorithms to estimate pre-mining methane drainage efficiency from coal seams: Blue Creek seam, Alabama.

ABSTRACT: Coal seam degasification and its efficiency are directly related to the safety of coal mining. Degasification activities in the Black Warrior basin started in the early 1980s by using vertical boreholes. Although the Blue Creek seam, which is part of the Mary Lee coal group, has been the main seam of interest for coal mining, vertical wellbores have also been completed in the Pratt, Mary Lee, and Black Creek coal groups of the Upper Pottsville formation to degasify multiple seams. Currently, the Blue Creek seam is further degasified 2-3 years in advance of mining using in-seam horizontal boreholes to ensure safe mining. The studied location in this work is located between Tuscaloosa and Jefferson counties in Alabama and was degasified using 81 vertical boreholes, some of which are still active. When the current long mine expanded its operation into this area in 2009, horizontal boreholes were also drilled in advance of mining for further degasification of only the Blue Creek seam to ensure a safe and a productive operation. This paper presents an integrated study and a methodology to combine history matching results from vertical boreholes with production modeling of horizontal boreholes using geostatistical simulation to evaluate spatial effectiveness of in-seam boreholes in reducing gas-in-place (GIP). Results in this study showed that in-seam wells' boreholes had an estimated effective drainage area of 2050 acres with cumulative production of 604 MMscf methane during ~2 years of operation. With horizontal borehole production, GIP in the Blue Creek seam decreased from an average of 1.52 MMscf to 1.23 MMscf per acre. It was also shown that effective gas flow capacity, which was independently modeled using vertical borehole data, affected horizontal borehole production. GIP and effective gas flow capacity of coal seam gas were also used to predict remaining gas potential for the Blue Creek seam.

SUBMITTER: Karacan CO

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4589456 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Integration of vertical and in-seam horizontal well production analyses with stochastic geostatistical algorithms to estimate pre-mining methane drainage efficiency from coal seams: Blue Creek seam, Alabama.

Karacan C Özgen CÖ

International journal of coal geology 20130701

Coal seam degasification and its efficiency are directly related to the safety of coal mining. Degasification activities in the Black Warrior basin started in the early 1980s by using vertical boreholes. Although the Blue Creek seam, which is part of the Mary Lee coal group, has been the main seam of interest for coal mining, vertical wellbores have also been completed in the Pratt, Mary Lee, and Black Creek coal groups of the Upper Pottsville formation to degasify multiple seams. Currently, the ...[more]

PMID: 26435557

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Project description:To solve the hidden danger of high methane and low permeability gas in the coal mining process, potentially affecting the safety production in an orderly way, we propose the use of deep hole blasting technology to improve the permeability of the coal seam gas drainage, increase the quantity and rate of extraction, and reduce methane output. Taking the geological conditions of the 201 working surface of Tingnan Coal Mine as an example, it is calculated that the single drilled fracture crack extension range is 3.11~5.24 m according to the coal seam deep-hole pre-splitting blasting joint mechanism and fracture propagation mechanics model, providing a theoretical basis for choosing the appropriate hole spacing. Using COMSOL simulation software to simulate the effective gas drainage radius of a coal seam from a two-dimensional perspective on a single borehole radial, the least squares fitting method was used to analyze the simulated data, and obtained the effective drilling extraction radius after pre-split blasting in a deep hole that is 3.6 m, which is in accordance with the theoretical calculations. In order to obtain accurate and scientific calculations, Fast lagrangian analysis of continua (FLAC3D) numerical simulation software was used. After simulating the distribution of plastic zone between two blast holes at different intervals from a three-dimensional angle, and evaluating the development of cracks in the blasting hole, the white zone of the blasting space was completely eliminated when the interval between blasting holes was 7 m, and the cracks could be propagated throughout the surroundings. Therefore, a blasting hole spacing of 7 m is optimal. On-site monitoring in the Nanting coal mine showed that the quantity and rate of extraction of the single hole after pre-splitting blasting were 2.36 times and 1.62 times as much as before. By integrating the borehole drainage amount and the optimized calculation equation, it could be concluded that the permeability coefficient of the coal seam after blasting was 7.78 times as much as before. The function of time-variated drilling methane emission was obtained using multivariate statistical regressions based on the on-site monitored borehole methane emission (qt), and the drilling limit after pre-splitting blasting revealed that the limitation of methane extraction volume was 5.27 times as much as before.

Project description:Natural attenuation of heavy metals occurs via coupled microbial iron cycling and metal precipitation in creeks impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD). Here, we describe the isolation, characterization, and genomic sequencing of two iron-oxidizing bacteria (FeOB) species: Thiomonas ferrovorans FB-6 and Thiomonas metallidurans FB-Cd, isolated from slightly acidic (pH 6.3), Fe-rich, AMD-impacted creek sediments. These strains precipitated amorphous iron oxides, lepidocrocite, goethite, and magnetite or maghemite and grew at a pH optimum of 5.5. While Thiomonas spp. are known as mixotrophic sulfur oxidizers and As oxidizers, the FB strains oxidized Fe, which suggests they can efficiently remove Fe and other metals via coprecipitation. Previous evidence for Thiomonas sp. Fe oxidation is largely ambiguous, possibly because of difficulty demonstrating Fe oxidation in heterotrophic/mixotrophic organisms. Therefore, we also conducted a genomic analysis to identify genetic mechanisms of Fe oxidation, other metal transformations, and additional adaptations, comparing the two FB strain genomes with 12 other Thiomonas genomes. The FB strains fall within a relatively novel group of Thiomonas strains that includes another strain (b6) with solid evidence of Fe oxidation. Most Thiomonas isolates, including the FB strains, have the putative iron oxidation gene cyc2, but only the two FB strains possess the putative Fe oxidase genes mtoAB The two FB strain genomes contain the highest numbers of strain-specific gene clusters, greatly increasing the known Thiomonas genetic potential. Our results revealed that the FB strains are two distinct novel species of Thiomonas with the genetic potential for bioremediation of AMD via iron oxidation.IMPORTANCE As AMD moves through the environment, it impacts aquatic ecosystems, but at the same time, these ecosystems can naturally attenuate contaminated waters via acid neutralization and catalyzing metal precipitation. This is the case in the former Ronneburg uranium-mining district, where AMD impacts creek sediments. We isolated and characterized two iron-oxidizing Thiomonas species that are mildly acidophilic to neutrophilic and that have two genetic pathways for iron oxidation. These Thiomonas species are well positioned to naturally attenuate AMD as it discharges across the landscape.

Project description:BackgroundBiogenic and biogenic-thermogenic coalbed methane (CBM) are important energy reserves for unconventional natural gas. Thus, to investigate biogenic gas formation mechanisms, a series of fresh coal samples from several representative areas of China were analyzed to detect hydrogen-producing bacteria and methanogens in an in situ coal seam. Complete microbial DNA sequences were extracted from enrichment cultures grown on coal using the Miseq high-throughput sequencing technique to study the diversity of microbial communities. The species present and differences between the dominant hydrogen-producing bacteria and methanogens in the coal seam are then considered based on environmental factors.ResultsSequences in the Archaea domain were classified into four phyla and included members from Euryarchaeota, Thaumarchaeota, Woesearchaeota, and Pacearchaeota. The Bacteria domain included members of the phyla: Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, Verrucomicrobia, Planctomycetes, Chloroflexi, and Nitrospirae. The hydrogen-producing bacteria was dominated by the genera: Clostridium, Enterobacter, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, and Bacillus; the methanogens included the genera: Methanorix, Methanosarcina, Methanoculleus, Methanobrevibacter, Methanobacterium, Methanofollis, and Methanomassiliicoccus.ConclusionTraces of hydrogen-producing bacteria and methanogens were detected in both biogenic and non-biogenic CBM areas. The diversity and abundance of bacteria in the biogenic CBM areas are relatively higher than in the areas without biogenic CBM. The community structure and distribution characteristics depend on coal rank, trace metal elements, temperature, depth and groundwater dynamic conditions. Biogenic gas was mainly composed of hydrogen and methane, the difference and diversity were caused by microbe-specific fermentation of substrates; as well as by the environmental conditions. This discovery is a significant contribution to extreme microbiology, and thus lays the foundation for research on biogenic CBM.

Dataset Information

Integration of vertical and in-seam horizontal well production analyses with stochastic geostatistical algorithms to estimate pre-mining methane drainage efficiency from coal seams: Blue Creek seam, Alabama.

Publications

Integration of vertical and in-seam horizontal well production analyses with stochastic geostatistical algorithms to estimate pre-mining methane drainage efficiency from coal seams: Blue Creek seam, Alabama.

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