Surface Facilities Computer Model: An Evaluation Tool for Enhanced Coalbed Methane Recovery

Publisher Summary The major benefits that could be derived from successful carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) or mixed gas (CO 2 /nitrogen) injection in an enhanced coalbed methane (ECBM) recovery scheme are twofold: enhancement of the coalbed methane (CBM) recovery factors and production rates to achieve commercial economics and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere by permanently storing the CO 2 in deep coal beds. Optimal ECBM operation will depend on both production economics and CO 2 storage economics. These two aspects are often in conflict, depending on the set of economic and environmental factors considered. The CO 2 produced in the process of capturing, compressing, pipelining, and injecting the CO 2 must be accounted for while computing net reductions in CO 2 emissions attributable to the project. This necessitates a detailed description and modeling of the surface facilities involved in the ECBM operation. The model is constructed in an open, modular fashion, permitting changes and updates in any part of the process facilities without disturbance of the other modules. The model is intended to function as a screening tool to evaluate the relative merits of various combinations of power plant, injection gas composition, pipeline, producing field and produced gas composition. It is capable of scaling facility sizes and costs and calculating economic performance. To date, the model has been used to evaluate several related opportunities in CO 2 sequestration using different CO 2 sources. This chapter outlines the model's internal workings and discusses in qualitative terms the results it has generated so far.