An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Coalbed Methane Geology
Geology of Coalbed Methane Reservoirs Explained
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,500
Starting From
29 Mar 2027
Home Geology and Geoscience Coalbed Methane Geology
Coalbed Methane Geology
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Coalbed Methane Geology - GG-CBM-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GG-CBM-PEA27 | 29 Mar - 02 Apr 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours Per Day |
Online |
USD |
3500 |
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Coalbed Methane Geology
This training covers coalbed methane geology and resource assessment. It works through coal formation and rank, coal composition and petrography, gas generation and storage, adsorption isotherms and gas content measurement, cleat systems and permeability, hydrogeology and dewatering, coal seam correlation and mapping, resource and reserve assessment and the geological controls on coalbed methane well performance.
Description
Coalbed methane differs from every other gas reservoir in how the gas is stored and how it is produced. The gas is adsorbed onto the internal surfaces of the coal rather than held as free gas in pore space, it is released by reducing pressure rather than by depleting a gas cap, and the pressure reduction is achieved by producing water. The geology that controls the resource and its producibility is therefore the coal rank, the gas content, the cleat permeability and the hydrogeology, and all four have to be favourable.
This training covers the subject systematically. Coal formation and rank are established first, covering peat accumulation, coalification and the rank sequence, since rank controls both the gas generation and the adsorption capacity. Coal composition and petrography follow, covering maceral groups, ash content and their effects. Gas generation and storage are then developed, covering thermogenic and biogenic gas and the adsorption mechanism. Adsorption isotherms and gas content measurement follow in detail, covering desorption testing and the corrections required. Cleat systems and permeability are then addressed, since permeability is the most common reason a coalbed methane project fails. Hydrogeology and dewatering follow. Coal seam correlation and mapping are then developed. Resource and reserve assessment follows. The training closes with the geological controls on well performance.
Permeability is the usual reason a coalbed methane project does not work. Coal rank and gas content are relatively easy to establish from a few wells and are often adequate; cleat permeability varies over several orders of magnitude, is hard to measure reliably and controls whether water can be produced fast enough to reduce the pressure. Permeability declines with depth as the cleats close under increasing effective stress, which sets a practical depth limit for most projects. A resource assessment that establishes a large gas-in-place without a credible permeability estimate has not addressed the question that matters.
Permeability increases during production, which is unusual and important. As water and then gas are produced, the pressure falls, which increases the effective stress and tends to close the cleats, but the coal matrix also shrinks as gas desorbs, which tends to open them. In many coals the shrinkage effect dominates after an initial decline, so the permeability passes through a minimum and then rises, which is why coalbed methane wells commonly show gas rates increasing for months or years after start-up. Forecasting without this effect understates the production profile substantially.
Gas content measurement requires a correction that is larger than the measured value in some cases. A core sample brought to surface begins desorbing immediately, and the gas lost between the coal leaving the seam and the sample being sealed in the canister is not measured. This lost gas is estimated by extrapolating the desorption curve back to the time of coring, and in a permeable coal cored slowly it can be a substantial fraction of the total. The estimate depends on the extrapolation method and on accurate timing records, which makes careful operational practice part of the measurement.
Finally, water disposal governs project viability as much as geology does. A coalbed methane development produces large volumes of water, often saline, before meaningful gas rates are achieved, and that water has to be disposed of. The volume depends on the coal permeability, the aquifer connection and the number of wells, and the disposal route depends on water chemistry and local regulation. Projects have been stopped by water handling costs with entirely adequate gas resources, which makes the hydrogeology a first-order assessment item rather than an operational detail.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Assess coal rank and its implications for gas content and adsorption
- Interpret coal petrography and composition data
- Distinguish thermogenic and biogenic gas and their significance
- Interpret adsorption isotherms and apply them to saturation assessment
- Specify and interpret gas content measurement including lost gas correction
- Characterise cleat systems and assess permeability
- Predict permeability change during production
- Assess hydrogeology, dewatering requirements and water disposal
- Correlate and map coal seams and their properties
- Assess coalbed methane resources and their recoverability
The training works on coalbed methane project data including core, desorption, isotherm and production data. Participants interpret gas content measurements and apply lost gas corrections, assess permeability from well test and production data, and estimate resources. Production histories are analysed to identify permeability change effects and dewatering behaviour.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Assess coalbed methane projects on the parameters that control them
- Avoid projects with inadequate permeability
- Measure and correct gas content reliably
- Forecast production including permeability change
- Assess water production and disposal requirements early
- Improve coalbed methane resource estimates
Participants will:
- Assess coal rank, composition and gas content
- Interpret isotherms and desorption data
- Evaluate cleat permeability
- Assess dewatering and water disposal
- Estimate coalbed methane resources
- Screen coalbed methane opportunities
- Geoscientists working coalbed methane projects
- Exploration geologists screening coal basins
- Petrophysicists evaluating coal seams
- Reservoir engineers in coalbed methane developments
- Hydrogeologists supporting coal gas projects
- Technical staff assessing coal gas resources
- Geoscientists entering unconventional gas work
Module 1 - Coal Formation and Rank
- Peat accumulation environments
- Mire types and their coal products
- Coal seam geometry and splitting
- Coalification process
- Rank sequence from lignite to anthracite
- Rank indicators and their measurement
- Vitrinite reflectance in coal
- Volatile matter and fixed carbon
- Moisture content by rank
- Burial and thermal history controls
- Rank distribution in basins
- Rank and gas content relationship
Module 2 - Coal Composition and Petrography
- Maceral groups: vitrinite, liptinite, inertinite
- Maceral analysis methods
- Maceral composition and gas generation
- Ash content and mineral matter
- Ash effects on gas capacity
- Sulphur content and its origin
- Proximate and ultimate analysis
- Coal quality parameters
- Banded and lithotype description
- Dull and bright coal distinctions
- Petrographic controls on cleat development
- Coal description standards
Module 3 - Gas Generation and Storage
- Thermogenic gas generation from coal
- Generation with increasing rank
- Biogenic gas generation
- Secondary biogenic gas in uplifted basins
- Gas composition and its origin
- Carbon dioxide and nitrogen content
- Adsorption on internal surfaces
- Micropore surface area
- Free against adsorbed gas
- Gas retention and loss
- Uplift and gas loss
- Gas saturation state
Module 4 - Isotherms and Gas Content
- Langmuir isotherm and its parameters
- Isotherm measurement procedure
- Moisture equilibrated isotherms
- Temperature effects on adsorption
- Isotherm interpretation
- Critical desorption pressure
- Gas saturation from isotherm and content
- Undersaturated coals
- Desorption canister testing
- Lost gas estimation methods
- Residual gas measurement
- Gas content on an as-received and dry ash-free basis
Module 5 - Cleats and Permeability
- Cleat systems and their formation
- Face and butt cleats
- Cleat spacing and its controls
- Cleat mineralisation
- Rank and lithotype controls on cleat
- Permeability measurement in coal
- Well test permeability determination
- Injection fall-off testing
- Permeability anisotropy
- Depth dependence of permeability
- Stress dependence and cleat closure
- Permeability thresholds for viability
Module 6 - Permeability Change and Hydrogeology
- Effective stress increase with depletion
- Cleat compressibility
- Matrix shrinkage with desorption
- Competing effects on permeability
- Permeability rebound behaviour
- Modelling permeability change
- Coal seam hydrogeology
- Aquifer connection and recharge
- Water chemistry and its variation
- Dewatering requirements
- Water production forecasting
- Water disposal options and constraints
Module 7 - Correlation, Mapping and Resources
- Coal seam correlation methods
- Log response of coal
- Seam splitting and merging
- Seam thickness mapping
- Net coal thickness
- Structural mapping of coal seams
- Gas content mapping
- Permeability mapping and its difficulty
- Gas in place calculation
- Resource classification for coal gas
- Recovery factor estimation
- Reserve assessment requirements
Module 8 - Well Performance and Development
- Coalbed methane production behaviour
- Dewatering phase and its duration
- Negative decline and peak gas rate
- Geological controls on performance
- Permeability as the dominant control
- Gas content and saturation effects
- Well spacing and interference
- Vertical against horizontal wells
- Stimulation in coal seams
- Underground coal gasification in outline
- Enhanced recovery by carbon dioxide injection
- Screening and ranking coal gas prospects
Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.
Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
All course bookings made through PEA are strictly non-refundable. By registering for a course, you acknowledge and accept that all fees are payable in full and are not subject to refund under any circumstances, including changes in personal or professional commitments or partial attendance.
PEA reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to course content, trainers, or schedules where necessary, without entitling delegates to a refund. Comprehensive details of each course — including objectives, target audience, and content — are clearly outlined before enrolment, and it is the responsibility of the delegate to ensure the course's suitability prior to booking.
For any inquiries related to cancellations or bookings, please contact our support team, who will be happy to assist you.
