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Zonal Seepage in Coal Seams Generated by Hydraulic Fracturing Under Gas Pressure Attenuation: Characteristics and Affecting Factors

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Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing causes the fracture zone phenomenon in a coal seam. The effectiveness of coalbed methane (CBM) extraction is determined by the seepage characteristics of various fracture zones under gas pressure attenuation by gas extraction in coal seams. Based on this, this paper developed a zonal seepage test device for hydraulic fracturing coal, designed a series and parallel test method for intact coal sample, microfracture coal sample and penetration fracture coal sample. This method can simulate the migration process of CBM in different disturbance areas near the wellbore in the initial stage of hydraulic fracturing (transverse seepage) and the migration process of CBM from the matrix to the wellbore in the later stage (longitudinal seepage). On this basis, the seepage characteristics of the complex zonal phenomenon produced by hydraulic fracturing under the condition of gas pressure attenuation were studied. A series and parallel permeability model combining Klinkenberg effect, expansion effect and effective stress was established. This model can well describe the series and parallel permeability variation law with gas pressure. It indicated that the adsorption expansion effect and effective stress have an impact on the coal matrix during the longitudinal seepage process, which restricts the seepage of both natural and artificial fractures. Artificial fractures are less impacted by the expansion effect and effective stress during the transverse seepage process, which makes them the primary seepage channel. Combined with the extraction data and the permeability model, the gas production trend in the Qinshui Basin is divided into two stages: transverse seepage dominant stage and longitudinal seepage dominant stage.

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Data Availability

All data, models, or codes that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Notes

  1. 1 mD = 9.869233 × 10−16 m2.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this study was provided by the National Key R&D Program of China (2023YFC3012101), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52104155), the Open Research Grant of the Joint National-Local Engineering Research Centre for Safe and Precise Coal Mining (EC2022012), and the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Universities (2023ZKPYNY03).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Energy and Mining Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing, 100083, China

    Cun Zhang, Chenxi Liu, Wuyan Xu, Yixin Zhao & Ziyu Song

  2. Joint National–Local Engineering Research Centre for Safe and Precise Coal Mining, Anhui University of Science and Technology, Huainan, 232001, Anhui, China

    Cun Zhang

  3. School of Mines, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, 221116, China

    Lei Zhang

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  1. Cun Zhang
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  2. Chenxi Liu
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Correspondence to Cun Zhang.

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Zhang, C., Liu, C., Xu, W. et al. Zonal Seepage in Coal Seams Generated by Hydraulic Fracturing Under Gas Pressure Attenuation: Characteristics and Affecting Factors. Nat Resour Res 33, 1173–1191 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-024-10326-4

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