Development and validation of a remotely triggered pressureand gas-preserved coring tool for deep coal mines in drilling fluid environments

Authors

  • Ju Li School of Mechanical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China
  • Jianan Li* College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China     State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China (Email: lijianan@scu.edu.cn)
  • Tianyu Wang College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China     State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China
  • Xiaojun Shi College of Water Resource and Hydropower, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China     State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, P. R. China
  • Pengfei Cui State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, P. R. China    Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, P. R. China
  • Delei Shang State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Construction and Healthy Operation and Maintenance of Deep Underground Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, P. R. China    Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Deep Earth Sciences and Geothermal Energy Exploitation and Utilization, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, P. R. China

Keywords:

Deep coal mine, pressure- and gas-preserved coring, remote coring trigger device, shear force calculation, drilling fluid environment

Abstract

The accurate measurement of coal seam gas content is essential for several aspects of deep coal mining, including disaster management, resource allocation and sustainability. However, obtaining in-situ coal samples while preserving gas content under challenging conditions, such as high stress, temperature fluctuations, and drilling fluid environments, remains a significant challenge. To overcome this difficulty, we present an innovative in situ pressure- and gas-preserved coring tool specifically designed for deep coal mining applications. This device enables the collection of coal seam samples under in-situ conditions while ensuring that both pressure and gas content are preserved, thereby preventing gas escape during sample transfer and providing more accurate parameters for evaluating coal and natural gas reserves. In the demanding environment of deep coal seams, the performance of the pressure-preserved chamber of the corer relies on the reliability of its remote triggering mechanism. The presence of drilling fluid introduces medium resistance, which can impair the triggering process–an issue largely overlooked in previous research. Herein, we propose a robust method to calculate remote triggering forces within liquid media and optimize its key parameters to improve operational stability. Laboratory tests and field validations in coal mining environments are conducted, which confirm the effectiveness of the optimized design and demonstrate the tool’s practical applicability. This study offers valuable insights into addressing key challenges in deep coal reservoir exploration and gas resource preservation.

Document Type: Original article

Cited as: Li, J., Li, J., Wang, T., Shi, X., Cui, P., Shang, D. Development and validation of a remotely triggered pressure- and gas-preserved coring tool for deep coal mines in drilling fluid environments. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 14(2): 147-160. https://doi.org/10.46690/ager.2024.11.07

References

Abid, K., Spagnoli, G., Teodoriu, C., et al. Review of pressure coring systems for offshore gas hydrates research. Underwater Technology, 2015, 33(1): 19-30.

Abegg, F., Hohnberg, H. J., Pape, T., et al. Development and application of pressure-core-sampling systems for the investigation of gas-and gas-hydrate-bearing sediments. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers, 2008, 55(11): 1590-1599.

Baouche, R., Wood, D. A. Characterization and estimation of gas-bearing properties of Devonian coals using well log data from five Illizi basin wells (Algeria). Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2020, 4(4): 356-371.

Bertard, C., Bruyet, B., Gunther, J. Determination of desorbable gas concentration of coal (direct method). International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, 1970, 7(1): 43-65.

Diamond, W. P., Schatzel, S. J. Measuring the gas content of coal: A review. International Journal of Coal Geology, 1998, 35(1-4): 311-331.

Dickens, G. R., Paull, C. K., Wallace, P. Direct measurement of in situ methane quantities in a large gas-hydrate reservoir. Nature, 1997, 385(6615): 426-428.

Dickens, G. R., Schroeder, D., Hinrichs, K. U. The pressure core sampler (PCS) on ODP Leg 201: General operations and gas release. In Proceedings of the ocean drilling program, Initial Reports, 2003, 201: 1-22.

Guo, D., Xie, H., Gao, M., et al. In-situ pressure-preserved coring for deep oil and gas exploration: Design scheme for a coring tool and research on the in-situ pressure-preserving mechanism. Energy, 2024, 286: 129519.

He, S., Peng, Y., Jin, Y., et al. Review and analysis of key techniques in marine sediment sampling. Chinese Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2020, 33: 160-176.

Huang, W., Li, J., Liu, Z., et al. Study of a low-disturbance pressure-preserving corer and its coring performance in deep coalmining conditions. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, 2023, 33(11): 1397-1410.

Kvenvolden, K. A., Cameron, D. Pressure core barrel; application to the study of gas hydrates, deep sea drilling project site 533, leg 76. Initial Reports of the DSDP, 1983, 76: 367-375.

Li, C., Xie, H., Gao, M., et al. Novel designs of pressure controllers to enhance the upper pressure limit for gas-hydrate-bearing sediment sampling. Energy, 2021, 227: 120405.

Li, J., Lu, S., Zhang, P., et al. Estimation of gas-in-place content in coal and shale reservoirs: A process analysis method and its preliminary application. Fuel, 2020, 259: 116266.

Li, J., Wang, J., Hu, Y., et al. Contact performance analysis of pressure controller’s sealing interface in deep in-situ pressure-preserved coring system. Petroleum Science, 2022, 19(3): 1334-1346.

Li, L., Sun, Z., Wang, F., et al. Study on the gas desorption law and indicator influencing factors of fixed-size coal samples. Scientific Reports, 2019a, 9(1): 17134.

Li, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, H., et al. Design and trial-manufacture of the pressure-holding core drilling tool for evaluation of coal-seam gas. Geology and Exploration, 2019b, 55(4): 1045-1050 (in Chinese).

Li, X., Zhang, X., Ma, Y., et al. Design and Experimental Study of an Improved Pressure Core Sampler for Marine Gas Hydrates. ACS omega, 2024, 9(13): 14977-14984.

Ma, H., Chen, S., Xue, D., et al. Outlook for the coal industry and new coal production technologies. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2021, 5(2): 119-120.

Mahmoud, H., Hamza, A., Nasser, M. S., et al. Hole cleaning and drilling fluid sweeps in horizontal and deviated wells: Comprehensive review. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 2020, 186: 106748.

Masayuki, K., Satoru, U., Masato, Y. Pressure temperature core sampler (ptcs). Journal of the Japanese Association for Petroleum Technology, 2006, 71(1): 139-147.

Ma, T., Liu, J., Fu, J., et al. Drilling and completion technologies of coalbed methane exploitation: an overview. International Journal of Coal Science & Technology, 2022, 9(1): 68.

Pape, T., Hohnberg, H. J., Wunsch, D., et al. Design and deployment of autoclave pressure vessels for the portable deep-sea drill rig MeBo (Meeresboden-Bohrgerät). Scientific Drilling, 2017, 23: 29-37.

Saghafi, A. Discussion on determination of gas content of coal and uncertainties of measurement. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, 2017, 27(5): 741-748.

Schultheiss, P., Francis, T., Holland, M., et al. Pressure coring, logging and subsampling with the hyacinth system. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 2006, 267(1): 151-163.

Schultheiss, P., Holland, M., Humphrey, G. Wireline coring and analysis under pressure: Recent use and future developments of the hyacinth system. Scientific Drilling, 2009, 7: 44-50.

Sukumar, T., Ramesh Bapu, B., Durga Prasad, B. Prediction of hyperelastic material sealing pressure using experimental and numerical analyses. Journal of Elastomers & Plastics, 2020, 52(8): 717-727.

Sun, S., Zhang, Q., Zheng, K., et al. Technology and equipment of sealed coring for accurate determination of coalbed gas content in ground well. Journal of China Coal Society, 2020, 45(7): 2523-2530 (in Chinese).

Wang, Z., Tang, X., Yue, G., et al. Physical simulation of temperature influence on methane sorption and kinetics in coal: Benefits of temperature under 273.15 k. Fuel, 2015, 158: 207-216.

Xie, H., Gao, M., Zhang, R., et al. Application prospects of deep in-situ condition-preserved coring and testing systems. Advances in Geo-Energy Research, 2024, 14(1): 12-24.

Xie, H., Hu, Y., Gao, M., et al. Research progress and application of deep in-situ condition preserved coring and testing. International Journal of Mining Science and Technology, 2023, 33(11): 1319-1337.

Yang, L., Su, Y., Luo, J., et al. Development and application of gw-cp194-80a pressure-maintaining coring tool. Natural Gas Industry, 2020, 40(4): 91-96 (in Chinese).

Yee, D., Seidle, J. P., Hanson, W. B. Gas sorption on coal and measurement of gas content: Chapter 9, in SG 38: Hydrocarbons from Coal, edited by B. E. Law and D. D. Rice, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Boulder, Tulsa, pp. 203-218, 1993.

Zhu, Q., Su, X., Yang, L., et al. Development and field test of gw-cp194-80m cbm dual pressure coring tool. Special Oil and Gas Reservoirs, 2020, 27(5): 139-144. (in Chinese)

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Downloads

Published

2024-11-04

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 2 (2024): November

Section

Articles