Dynamic behavior of coalbed methane flow along the annulus of single-phase production

Abstract

Abstract Dynamic behavior of coalbed methane (CBM) flow will provide the theoretical basis to optimize production performance for a given well. A mathematical model is developed to simulate flowing pressures and pressure drops of CBM column from well head to bottom hole. The measured parameters and independent variables of flow rates, flowing pressures and temperatures are involved in CBM producing process along the annulus. The developed relationships are validated against full-scale measured data in single-phase CBM wellbores. The proposed methodology can analyze the dynamic behavior in CBM reservoir and process of CBM flow with an overall accuracy of 2%. The calculating process of flowing pressures involves friction factor with variable Reynolds number and CBM temperature and compressibility factor with gravitational gradients. The results showed that the effect of flowing pressure on CBM column was more obvious than that on CBM and water column accompanied by an increase of dynamic water level. The ratios of flowing pressure on increment of CBM column to the whole column increased with the declined flow rates of water column. Bottom-hole pressure declined with the decreased flowing pressure of CBM column along the annulus. It will lead to the results of the increased pressure drop of CBM column and CBM flow rate in single-phase CBM wellbores.