Coalbed methane with CO2 sequestration: An emerging clean coal technology in India

Coalbed methane (CBM) is an emerging clean coal technology in India to extract in-situ entrapped methane of coal beds. Methane is a greenhouse and a calorific valuable gas providing an energy source for power production. The capture of entrapped methane gas prior to coal mining or from unmineable deep coal seams would result in a safe, clean and viable energy source. The use of major greenhouse gas CO2 for desorbing the entrapped methane in coal beds would result in efficient carbon capture and storage (CCS). As India contains 37% of coal reserves in the deep underground (>300m), enhanced coalbed methane (ECBM) is a promising clean coal technology for methane recovery as well as CO2 sequestration. The present study evaluates the CBM potential of Indian bituminous/sub-bituminous coal reserves using Kim׳s correlation and further estimates the CO2 sequestration capacity of coal seams. These data are useful to the industries, which are aiming at the CBM resources of India. Further, the technical feasibility of ECBM integration with underground coal gasification (UCG) technology is also discussed for clean recovery of deep underground coal resources.

[1]  V. Prabu.  Integration of in-situ CO2-oxy coal gasification with advanced power generating systems performing in a chemical looping approach of clean combustion , 2015 .

[2]  Sarthak Shah,et al.  Difficulties and prospects of Coalbed methane in India as compared to North America , 2014 .

[3]  A. K. Mukherjee,et al.  Gondwana coals of Bhutan Himalaya - Occurrence, properties and petrographic characteristics , 1988 .

[4]  Y. Gensterblum,et al.  High-pressure methane and carbon dioxide adsorption on dry and moisture-equilibrated Pennsylvanian coals , 2002 .

[5]  Saumitra Das,et al.  Methane and carbon dioxide sorption on a set of coals from India , 2011 .

[6]  V. Prabu,et al.  Simulation of cavity formation in underground coal gasification using bore hole combustion experiments , 2011 .

[7]  W. Gunter,et al.  Deep coalbed methane in Alberta, Canada: A fuel resource with the potential of zero greenhouse gas emissions , 1997 .

[8]  M. Mazzotti,et al.  Enhanced coalbed methane recovery , 2009 .

[9]  Aloke Kumar Bhanja,et al.  A New Approach to Estimate CBM Gas Content from Well Logs , 2008 .

[10]  Sanjay M. Mahajani,et al.  Underground coal gasification: A new clean coal utilization technique for India , 2007 .

[11]  Satya Harpalani,et al.  Methane/CO2 Sorption Modeling for Coalbed Methane Production and CO2 Sequestration , 2006 .

[12]  V. Prabu,et al.  CO2 enhanced in-situ oxy-coal gasification based carbon-neutral conventional power generating systems , 2015 .

[13]  Suresh K. Bhatia,et al.  High-Pressure Adsorption of Methane and Carbon Dioxide on Coal , 2006 .

[14]  R. Haque,et al.  Gasification of high-ash Indian coals for power generation , 1991 .

[15]  J. Pashin,et al.  Temperature–pressure conditions in coalbed methane reservoirs of the Black Warrior basin: implications for carbon sequestration and enhanced coalbed methane recovery , 2003 .

[16]  H. S. Pareek.  The role of coal petrographic characteristics in evaluating the non-coking nature of the coals of ramagundam and Kothagudem coalfields, Godavari Valley Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India , 1986 .

[17]  V. Prabu,et al.  Laboratory scale studies on simulated underground coal gasification of high ash coals for carbon-neutral power generation , 2012 .

[18]  G. Aydin,et al.  Mine ventilation air methane as a sustainable energy source , 2011 .

[19]  Andreas Busch,et al.  High-pressure methane and carbon dioxide sorption on coal and shale samples from the Paraná Basin, Brazil , 2010 .

[20]  I. Palmer.  Coalbed methane completions: A world view , 2010 .

[21]  S. Mukherjee,et al.  Transformation of coal mineral matter in relation to coal metamorphism in the Rajhara sub-basin, Daltonganj Coalfield, India , 1992 .

[22]  Mark D. Zoback,et al.  CO2 storage and enhanced coalbed methane recovery: Reservoir characterization and fluid flow simulations of the Big George coal, Powder River Basin, Wyoming, USA , 2009 .

[23]  Ji-Quan Shi,et al.  Implementation of horizontal well CBM/ECBM technology and the assessment of effective CO2 storage capacity in a Scottish coalfield , 2011 .

[24]  S. Durucan,et al.  Flue Gas Injection for CO2 Storage and Enhanced Coalbed Methane Recovery : Mixed Gas Sorption and Swelling Characteristics of Coals , 2013 .

[25]  S. Paul,et al.  Classification of coal seams for coal bed methane exploitation in central part of Jharia coalfield, India – A statistical approach , 2013 .

[26]  V. A. Mendhe,et al.  Evaluation of coal bed methane potential of coal seams of Sawang Colliery, Jharkhand, India , 2008 .

[27]  D. Chandra,et al.  Occurrence, distribution and probable source of the trace elements in ghugus coals, wardha valley, districts chandrapur and yeotmal, maharashtra, India , 1983 .

[28]  Bijay S Singh,et al.  Spontaneous Combustibility Characterisation of the Chirimiri Coals, Koriya District, Chhatisgarh, India , 2011 .

[29]  Pathegama Gamage Ranjith,et al.  Numerical modeling of Gondwana coal seams in India as coalbed methane reservoirs substituted for carbon dioxide sequestration , 2013 .

[30]  T. Moore,et al.  Coalbed methane: A review , 2012 .

[31]  AN OVERVIEW OF THE POTENTIALS AND PROSPECTS OF COALBED METHANE EXPLORATION AND EXPLOITATION IN THE PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS COAL MEASURES OF THE BARAKAR FORMATION, JHARIA BASIN, INDIA , 2004 .

[32]  S. Kędzior.  Accumulation of coal-bed methane in the south-west part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (southern Poland) , 2009 .

[33]  H. S. Pareek.  Petrographic, chemical and trace-elemental composition of the coal of Sohagpur coalfield, Madhya Pradesh, India , 1987 .

[34]  Guangzhu Zhou,et al.  Predicted CO2 enhanced coalbed methane recovery and CO2 sequestration in China , 2007 .

[35]  Ekrem Ozdemir,et al.  Modeling of coal bed methane (CBM) production and CO2 sequestration in coal seams , 2009 .

[36]  Talal Yusaf,et al.  Coal seam gas and associated water: A review paper , 2013 .

[37]  Rekha Ghosh.  The variation in thickness and composition of coal seams and its use in interpretation of palaeocurrents — A case study from the Raniganj Coalfield, West Bengal, India , 1987 .

[38]  C. Özgen Karacan,et al.  Coal mine methane: A review of capture and utilization practices with benefits to mining safety and to greenhouse gas reduction , 2011 .

[39]  M. Baruah,et al.  Sulphur in Assam coal , 1996 .

[40]  Kazuo Aso,et al.  Japanese potential of CO2 sequestration in coal seams , 2006 .

[41]  C. M. Boyer,et al.  Methodology of coalbed methane resource assessment , 1998 .

[42]  Ann G. Kim,et al.  Estimating methane content of bituminous coalbeds from adsorption data , 1977 .

[43]  R. Ghosh,et al.  Geology, petrology and utilisation potential of some Tertiary coals of the northeastern region of India , 1996 .