How moisture loss affects coal porosity and permeability during gas recovery in wet reservoirs?

Moisture in coal seams changes gas adsorption capacity, induces coal deformation, and affects coal porosity. However, fewer studies have investigated the dynamic process of moisture loss. In this study, a fully coupled multi-physical model for coal deformation, gas flow and moisture loss was implemented. It validated the coal-gas-moisture interactions of the decay of gas adsorption capacity and the coal shrinkage. Subsequently, the proposed model was applied to a simulation of coal seam gas recovery from wet reservoir and solved using the finite method in COMSOL Multiphysics 3.5. Analyses of the component factors and the sensitive parameters of moisture loss on coal porosity and permeability were comprehensively studied at last. The results reveal that moisture loss enhances coal porosity and permeability. The decay of gas adsorption capacity decreases coal permeability while the coal shrinkage promotes it. The decrease of the adsorption decay coefficient and the increase of the initial density of saturated water vapor and water evaporation constant can enhance the permeability of wet coal seams. (C) 2017 Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of China University of Mining & Technology.