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Resource Assessment and Production Testing for Coalbed Methane Development in the Illinois Basin
Overview:
This project, which is a joint effort of the Illinois Basin Consortium, is designed to evaluate the potential for economic coalbed methane (CBM) in the Illinois Basin.
Illinois Basin Consortium
Funding: This project is being funded by the National Energy Technology Laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-FC26-03NT41876) the Kentucky Consortium for Energy and the Environment, the Illinois Department of Commerce, and the three state surveys. Drilling assistance is being provided by Peabody Energy, Charolais Coal Company, Black Beauty Coal Company, and Royal Drilling and Producing.
Description: The goal of this project is to obtain fundamental information on methane content, permeability, and well-completion data and techniques for Illinois Basin coal beds and associated organic-rich shales. This study will provide essential baseline information necessary for the development and production of coalbed methane from areas believed to have the best potential for economically extractable coalbed methane in the Illinois Basin. The project will proceed in three phases.
Details of project phases
The goal of phase 1 will be to perform a detailed geological assessment for part of the Illinois Basin. The results of this assessment will be used to target areas deemed to have the best potential for economically recoverable coalbed methane. Based on evaluation of existing information, three exploration coreholes will be drilled in the most promising target areas, from which coals and selected organic-rich shales will be recovered and tested for gas content. Some samples will undergo further analyses to determine absolute gas saturation (adsorption) capacity, as well as the stable isotopic characteristics of the gas. In addition, a pilot production well in southern Illinois will be drilled to determine in situ gas content, coal permeability characteristics, and gas production capabilities.
Phase 2 will entail additional geologic analysis of the remainder of the area and the drilling of four additional conventional exploration coreholes for the determination of methane content. Four wells surrounding the center pilot well (from phase 1) also will be drilled; all five wells will be stimulated and then put on pump to lower the hydrostatic pressure in the coal and produce gas and water. Dewatering of the pilot production site in southern Illinois will continue for at least 1 year.
During phase 3, analyses of core data will be completed and at least one year of pilot production site data will be acquired; in addition, the data collected in the project will be assessed and compiled in a final report.
Technology Transfer
Presented at the Strategic Research Institute 5th annual meeting on Coalbed Methane and Coal Mine Methane, Denver, Colorado, May 24-25: Resource Assessment and Production Testing for Coalbed Methane Development in the Illinois Basin [abstract] [PowerPoint presentation].
Reports: reports are available for viewing (provide links to files)
Semiannual report (.pdf file)
Most recent quarterly report (.pdf file)