Huang Zhaohui

Log evaluation of a coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir: a case study in the southern Qinshui basin, China

Proximate analysis components, gas content, porosity and permeability are the most important parameters for CBM reservoir evaluation. Based on the analysis of the conventional well log response of the no. 3 and no. 15 CBM seams in the southern Qinshui basin of China, regression analysis is used to establish the prediction models of the components of proximate analysis. The Langmuir rank equation is used to calculate the gas content. Variable matrix density is used to evaluate the total porosity. Based on the dual lateral log interaction method, a fracture porosity estimation model is established and the coal fracture permeability is predicted by using the Faivre–Sibbit method in the two CBM seams. Comparisons between the estimated and measured data of proximate analysis components, gas content, porosity and permeability indicate that the established models are credible. The absolute errors between the estimated moisture (Mad), ash (Aad), volatile (Vdaf), fixed carbon (FCad) and the measured results of coal in two coal seams are less than 0.41%, 9.47%, 3.61% and 9.41%, respectively. The absolute errors between the estimated and measured gas content are less than 4.05 cm3 g−1. The absolute errors of estimated total porosity and the analysed results of coal are less than 0.84%. Field samples show that Mad, Aad and Vdaf are less than 1.00%, 10.00%–25.00% and 10.00–15.00%, respectively, in the no. 3 and no. 15 CBM seams in the southern Qinshui basin. The FCad is close to 70.00%. The gas content ranges from 7.00 cm3 g−1 to 20.00 cm3 g−1 in the no. 3 coal seam and from 10.00 cm3 g−1 to 30.00 cm3 g−1 in the no. 15 coal seam. The total porosity is close to 5.50% and the fracture porosity is generally less than 2.50%. Fracture permeability is mainly distributed from 0.001 to 10 mD. The results indicate that the conventional well logs are effective in CBM reservoir evaluation.