Coalbed Methane-Clean Energy for the World

Date: 04/02/2010

Coalbed methane (CBM) holds great potential as a global resource, and countries with coal deposits are actively pursuing its development. The oil industry plays a major role in improving its recovery economics with new technologies for all phases, from evaluation to production.

Because of the unique attributes of coal, extracting coalbed gas is accomplished with methods that often are different from those used in conventional gas fields. Gas must be released from the coal matrix and travel through a cleat or fracture system to the wellbore. As new technologies and cost-effective techniques have been applied to these characteristics, production from CBM has grown dramatically.

Some of these recent advances in CBM evaluation, drilling, completion, and production are discussed in an article in Oilfield Review, “Coalbed Methane—Clean Energy for the World.” The article also describes coal as a source of gas and the characteristics of coal production. Specific examples from Australia, Canada, and the USA are presented.

Read the full article at the Oilfield Review Web site. Clients are invited to register as premium content users to access this and other articles in the Oilfield Review.

Al-Jubori A, Johnston S, Boyer C, Lambert SW, Bustos OA, Pashin JC and Wray A: “Coalbed Methane—Clean Energy for the World,” Oilfield Review 21, no. 2 (Summer 2009): 4–13.