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Evolution of Permeability and Gas Seepage in Deep Coal Under 3D Stress

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Abstract

More and more gas extraction in deep coal seam is conducted under extreme geological conditions. The coal permeability determines the efficiency of gas extraction. To research the evolution of permeability and gas seepage in deep coal seam under three-dimensional (3D) stress condition, a permeability model (DCTDS model) was established by introducing the ratio of internal swelling and the elastic modulus reduction ratio under 3D stress. The influence of adsorption–desorption and effective stress on fracture aperture was considered in the DCTDS model. Subsequently, the DCTDS model was validated. Sensitivity analysis of parameters was conducted based on the laboratory test data under various boundary conditions. The results demonstrate that the change of coal permeability is effectively presented by the DCTDS model. The coal permeability decreased more with increasing pressure when the porosity and Biot’s coefficient were smaller in the dominant range of adsorption swelling. The coal permeability increased more when the porosity, Poisson’s ratio, and ratio of internal swelling were smaller in the dominant range of effective stress. Finally, based on the constructed DCTDS model, gas extraction in deep coal seams was simulated. The extraction effect was improved with smaller borehole spacing, and elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio of coal. The extraction effect became more notable with larger borehole aperture, Biot’s coefficient, and initial permeability. The gas extraction efficiency decreased gradually with extension of extraction time.

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Notes

  1. * 1 psia = 6.89476 kPa.

  2. *1 mD = 9.869233 × 10−16 m2

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 52004081, 52174175), the Key Scientific Research Project of Higher Education Institutions of Henan Province (No. 21A440005), the research fund of Henan Key Laboratory for Green and Efficient Mining & Comprehensive Utilization of Mineral Resources (Henan Polytechnic University), the opening project of Henan Key Laboratory of Underground Engineering and Disaster Prevention (Henan Polytechnic University), the Natural Science Foundation of Henan Polytechnic University (No. B2020-34), the Key R & D and promotion projects in Henan Province (Nos. 212102310010, 232102321128), the research fund of Jiaozuo Road Traffic and Transportation Engineering and Technology Research Center (No. JRTT2023008). The financial supports are gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy Science and Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, China

    Tenglong Rong, Pengju Liu, Jiawei Wang, Xiaojian Ren, Xianzhong Li & Guoying Wang

  2. Henan Key Laboratory for Green and Efficient Mining and Comprehensive Utilization of Mineral Resources, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo, 454003, China

    Tenglong Rong

  3. Collaborative Innovation Center of Coal Work Safety and Clean High Efficiency Utilization, Jiaozuo, 454003, China

    Tenglong Rong & Guoying Wang

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  1. Tenglong Rong
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Correspondence to Tenglong Rong.

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Rong, T., Liu, P., Wang, J. et al. Evolution of Permeability and Gas Seepage in Deep Coal Under 3D Stress. Nat Resour Res 33, 765–791 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-023-10306-0

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