COAL SEAM GAS, WATER, AND FRACCING

PROFESSOR GARRY WILLGOOSE THE UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE

INTRODUCTION
Two forms of gas production are confused. They are different in both extraction process and impacts. Its important to distinguish between them so you are focused on the relevant impacts. Coal Seam gas vs Shale gas
Extraction Fraccing Impacts
and how they differ

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SHALE GAS AND COAL SEAM GAS

Shale Gas is traditional natural gas (just like North west shelf) only in rocks (typically shales) that are very fine grained and so the gas does not flow out readily. The gas is trapped in the pores in the rock between the rock grains. It is a mixture of methane, butane and other hydrocarbons. Some condensate (light oil) typically produced. Coal Seam Gas is gas that is chemically attached (as a result of water pressure) to the coal in coal seams (the process is called adsorption). When the water pressure is reduced the gas detaches from the coal and bubbles out (like gas in a bottle of soft drink). Its is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide. No condensate produced.

EXISTING SHALE GAS AND COAL SEAM GAS PRODUCTION

USA Production
2000: 0% Shale Gas, <8% CSG 2010: 14% Shale Gas, 8% CSG 2030: 30% Shale Gas, 8% CSG

Australian Production
To date no Shale Gas production. Exploration in Qld (Galilee Basin), SA (Cooper basin suggestions 2x current reserves) and Victoria (Gippsland). No indication of prospects in NSW at this stage. CSG concentrated in Queensland and NSW (Camden mostly). Growth projected outside these areas (all of the coal provinces in NSW).

THE DIFFERENCE IN GEOLOGY

Coal Seam Gas
Layers of soft coal and hard siltstone/shale Depth 300-600m

Shale Gas
Homogeneous mass of shale. Differences in hardness of layers small Depth 200-1000m

THE EXTRACTION PROCESS

The coal seam gas is released when the pressure in the aquifer is reduced (just like a soft drink bottle) by pumping water out of the coal seam. The gas collects in the pores of the rock until it can flow out of the pores into the well. Two stages:
Release of gas from within the coal into the pores in the coal Flow of the gas through the pores to the well where it is collected.
Pressure with time Water pressure in coal seam

THE IMPORTANCE OF COAL PERMEABILITY

If permeability is low then the rate of drawdown of the water pressure will be lower (and thus the release rate of gas from the coal to the pores) and the rate of flow of the gas to the well will be lower. If the rates are too low then fraccing is used to make pathways (and increase the permeability)

Low permeability

High permeability

FRACCING (1)
A liquid (water for coal seam gas)with sand is pumped under pressure into the well and thus into the rock. It creates tensile forces in the rock and fractures it. The sand fills the fracture and keeps it open afterwards.
Before Well bore

Sand filled fractures

After

Well bore

FRACCING (2)
The orientation of the fracture is at right angles to the minimum compressive stress in the rock. The horizontal compressive stress comes the movement of the tectonic plates on the earths surface and varies from place to place. The vertical compressive stress is a function of how deep the rocks are. Generally for the depth of coal seam gas the fracture is vertical.

GEOLOGIC STRESS IN AUSTRALIA

Everywhere in Australia is different Fraccing characteristics will be site dependent Qld is different from NSW

FRACCING (3)
The layering of the geology is important to how high and low the fracture extends. In CSG the softer coal fractures first with the harder layers above and below only being fractured at much higher pressures. In shale gas the fractures are not constrained vertically and extend as high as they are wide. Typical CSG frac dimensions 50m horizontal, 5-10mm wide.
Coal Seam Gas
Shale Gas

POSSIBLE IRRIGATION WELL IMPLICATIONS FROM FRACCING

Vertical extent of the fraccs very different from shale gas to coal seam gas. Greater risk in shale gas of intercepting existing wells Implication if fracc intercepts well
Drainage of irrigation water supply into gas well Migration of gas upwards into the irrigation well

Irrigation Well

Shale Gas Well

FLUIDS USED TO FRAC

Frac fluids need to be misible with existing liquid in the rock (saline water for CSG, oil or saline water for shale gas). If not misible they might block the gas extraction. Stages in fraccing process:
Water to open the fracture Water, thickener and sand. The sand holds the fracture open Water and acid to breakup and remove the thickener. At Broke pH was still alkaline after fraccing so there was sufficient base in the water and the rock to neutralize the acid (also typical of upper Hunter coal mines self neutralization capacity). Sometimes bacteriacide (e.g. chlorine) to stop bacterial growth on any of the residual thickener.

SOME PUBLIC MISUNDERSTANDINGS

Gasland: Documentary on the water/gas/human health impacts of gas extraction. Almost all of the the case studies in the film are for shale gas (specifically the Marcellus shale in Pennsylvania). Powder River Basin (Montana). This is coal seam gas from aquifers that are used for irrigation. Most of the impacts have not been from fraccing. In fact fraccing is relatively rare in Powder River because the permeabilities are quite high thats the reason they are used for irrigation. The coal seam water at Powder River is quite fresh, while NSW seams are quite saline and not suitable for irrigation. So unlikely there will be direct conflicts in usage in NSW. Because geology is different impacts will be site specific. There is a need for site specific assessment of impacts.

SO WHATS THE MAIN WATER IMPACT OF CSG?

The coal seam needs to be depressurised by draining the water. This produced or production water has the characteristics of the coal seam. Most coal seams in NSW are highly saline ( > 5000 mg/l), alkaline and sodic. This means the water is not suitable for irrigation or other productive use straight from the well. Production water has been the main problem in Qld and near Narrabri (Eastern Star). There are proposals to desalinate water for use in irrigation but to date only limited trials.
Santos @ Fairview in SE Qld, 100kl/day from 200 wells, worlds largest CSG irrigation trial.s

WATER AND GAS FLOW OVER TIME

Over a few months it looks like