Abstract
Coalbed gas is generated during coalification process and remain in the
coal as an adsorbed form. This paper discusses the mechanism of
generation of coalbed gas and identification of its origin. Two samples
has been retrieved from exploratory borehole of Jharia Coalfield.
Location of the study area was shown in figure 1. Gas content of these
coal samples has been found and some gas is collected in glass bottle
from desorption canister. After collection of this adsorbed gas, it was
analyzed through gas chromatography and isotopic ratio mass
spectrometer. Analyzed coalbed gas contains primarily CH4, ranges from
72.25% to 83.21% and CO2, ranges from 2.63% to 3.05%. Stable isotope
geochemistry shows that isotopic fraction is between CH4, C2H6 and CO2.
Stable isotopic fractionation and coalbed gas composition is shown in
table 1. Isotope of δ13CO2 varies from -21.3% to -17.9%. CDMI and
hydrocarbon index (CHC) was also calculated. CDMI index ranges from 3.51
to 3.54 which that coalbed gas might be of thermogenic origin. CHC index
ranges from 68.77 to 95.07 % which shows generated CO2 is of organic in
nature. Calculated dryness index ranges from 0.986 to 0.990 which shows
that coalbed gas is dry to very dry in nature. Coal samples was
characterized on the basis of petrochemical and petrographic for the
coalbed methane recovery from Jharia Coalfield. Analyzed coalbed gas
contains mainly thermogenic methane with substantial amount of biogenic
methane. δ13CO2 for biogenic was assumed to be -20% to -15% for the
samples. Biogenic proportion for the samples was observed 24.65% and
13.77% respectively while for thermogenic proportion, it was found
around 75.35% and 86.23%.