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Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas Resource Characterization

Unconventional Gas Reservoir Evaluation Services

Intertek performs gas composition and isotope measurements. The Intertek Westport Technology Center provides clients characterization testing that assess coalbed methane and shale gas.

A requirement for exploiting unconventional gas reservoirs is the determination of accurate gas in place. The primary variables of this calculation are acquired through field desorption measurements. Intertek’s wellsite desorption service utilizes well recognized and documented methods of analysis including the use of thermally regulated desorption canisters for assessing gas content of whole core, sidewall core or cuttings. Studies show that gas desorption is critically temperature dependent, all tests and measurements throughout the core analysis program are performed at reservoir temperature while ambient pressure is carefully monitored.

Gas produced from coal bed methane or shale is composed of several gas species in addition to methane. Correct delineation of gas composition is necessary for proper economic evaluation of the resource being produced. Isotopic composition of the produced gas can give an idea of the gas origin, reservoir continuity, reservoir compartmentalization, migration and biogenic fraction. Additionally, Westport offers adsorption isotherm analysis which measures the total amount of gas that coal or shale can absorb to evaluate the saturation level of the reservoir. Isotherms are performed at reservoir temperature and at increments up to 5000 psi. Coalbed Methane and Shale Gas Tests.

Unconventional natural gas includes a range of sources. These include coalbed methane and gas-containing shales. Coalbed methane is natural gas produced from coalbeds in the same way that methane is produced from other strata. Shale gas is produced from reservoirs composed of shale. Gas shales are often source rocks and the reservoir source for natural gas. The methane can be adsorbed onto insoluble organic matter (kerogen), trapped in pore spaces of sediments interbedded with the shale, or confined in fractures in the shale.

Gas production from coalbeds and gas bearing shales is a growing energy resource. In the USA, commercial coalbed and shale gas production occurs in approximately 10 U.S. basins including the San Juan, Black Warrior, Appalachian, and Michigan. Internationally, Europe, Australia, China, and Canada have programs aimed at unconventional gas recovery.

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