Dynamic-Change Laws of the Porosity and Permeability of Low- to Medium-Rank Coals under Heating and Pressurization Treatments in the Eastern Junggar Basin, China

Abstract

Deep coalbed methane exists in high-temperature and high-pressure reservoirs. To elucidate the dynamic-change laws of the deep coal reservoir porosity and permeability characteristics in the process of coalbed methane production, based on three pieces of low- to medium-rank coal samples in the eastern Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, we analyse their mercury-injection pore structures. We measured the porosity and permeability of the coal samples at various temperatures and confining pressures by high-temperature and confining pressure testing. The results show that the porosity of a coal sample decreases exponentially with increasing effective stress. With increasing temperature, the initial porosity increases for two pieces of relatively low-rank coal samples. The increased rate of porosity decreases with increasing confining pressure. With increasing temperature, the initial porosity of a relatively high-rank coal sample decreases, and the rate of change of the porosity become faster. An exponential relationship exists between the porosity and permeability. With increasing coal rank, the initial porosity and permeability decrease. The change rate of the permeability decreases with increasing porosity.