The Characteristic Development of Micropores in Deep Coal and Its Relationship with Adsorption Capacity on the Eastern Margin of the Ordos Basin, China

Abstract

The accurate description of micro-/nanopores in deep coal reservoirs plays an important role in evaluating the reservoir properties and gas production capacity of coalbed methane (CBM). This work studies nine continuous samples of high–rank coal from the Daning–Jixian area of the Ordos Basin. Maceral analysis, proximate analysis, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), low-pressure CO2 adsorption (LPA), low-temperature N2 adsorption (LTA) and high-pressure methane adsorption (HPMA) experiments were conducted for each sample. The fractal dimension (D) of the LPA data was calculated by using the micropore fractal model. The characteristics of the deep coal reservoir pore structure, proximate analysis, relationship between maceral and fractal dimensions, and gas adsorption capacity of the micropores are discussed. The results showed that the combination of LPA with nonlocalized density functional theory (NLDFT) models and LTA with NLDFT models can more accurately determine the pore size distribution of the micropores. The pore volume (PV) and specific surface area (SSA) of the coals were distributed in the ranges of 0.059~0.086 cm3/g and 204.38~282.42 m2/g, respectively. Although the degree of micropore development varies greatly among different coal samples, the pore distribution characteristics are basically the same, and the PV and SSA are the most developed in the pore size range of 0.4–0.7 nm. Ash content (Ad) and mineral composition are two major factors affecting micropore structure, but they have different impacts on the fractal dimension. The higher the vitrinite content, moisture content (Mad) and Ad are, the larger the micropore fractal dimension (D) and the stronger the heterogeneity of the pore structure. Micropores account for 99% of the total SSA in coal, and most methane can be adsorbed in micropores. The fractal dimension of micropores can be used to evaluate the pore structure characteristics. The larger the fractal dimension, the smaller the micro-SSA and micro-PV of the coal sample. Fractal analysis is helpful to better understand the pore structure and adsorption capacity of CBM reservoirs.