VIDEO: Helping the US to tap into coalbed methane
As the US searches for security of gas supply, unconventional sources of natural gas could be exploited to support the industry.
The US sits on an estimated 700 trillion ft3 of coalbed methane (CBM). While there is also an estimated 7500 trillion ft3 worldwide, there is clear potential to develop CBM resources in the US to help meet burgeoning gas demand.
But how to recover this vast resource in a cost effective way, that is not damaging to the environment?
The following video, from Gardes Energy Services Inc., provides detailed insights into CBM, and details key elements of a patented underbalanced multi-lateral drilling (MLD) process, which can be used to extract the huge potential of this unconventional resource. The video notes that environmental concerns raised against drilling techniques used to extract shale gas, are addressed and solved using this MLD process.
The potential of both CBM and MLD is significant, as Gardes Energy Services notes on its website: “There is now new thought on revolutionizing coalbed natural gas development. Horizontal and multi-lateral completion technology can dramatically boost recovery rates and reduce surface footprints. In all cases, this technology eliminates hundreds of thousands of vertical wells. Two primary technology needs now exist: improved under-balanced horizontal and multi-lateral drilling methods and more cost effective methods of drilling and guidance of horizontal wells. Today's horizontal and multi-lateral drilling capability can offer much for CBM development. The anisotropic cleat permeability in most coals limit production from seams with low to average permeability, even though permeability is often low in only one orientation. Efficiently under-balanced drilled multi-laterals can open the marginal permeability plays with minimal to no formation damage. As the technique gains acceptance, drilling in the next 5 years could boost ultimate recovery by 50%.)”
Written by Sam Dodson
Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/cbm/18062014/video_multi_lateral_drilling_for_coalbed_methane_v9/
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