HORIZONTAL HYDRAULIC DRILLING FOR METHANE EMISSION CONTROL

THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PHASE I RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE AN INNOVATIVE HYDRAULIC HORIZONTAL DRILLING METHOD FOR PRODUCING COALBED METHANE (CBM) COMMERCIALLY AND THEREBY LIMITING ITS EMISSION FROM COAL MINES. CBM IS TYPICALLY PRODUCED USING CONVENTIONAL VERTICAL WELLS THAT HAVE BEEN STIMULATED HYDRAULICALLY TO ENHANCE THE FORMATION PERMEABILITY. THIS METHOD DOES NOT ALLOW FOR EFFICIENT REMOVAL OF THE TOTAL RESOURCE UNLESS DRILLING IS ACCOMPLISHED ON A CLOSE SPACING, WHICH ADVERSELY AFFECTS THEECONOMICS OF DEVELOPING THE FIELD. HORIZONTAL DRILLING WOULD PROVIDE THE BENEFIT OF ACCESS TO A LARGE PART OF THE COAL SEAM FROM A SINGLE WELL, AND THIS METHOD COULD BE APPLIED FROM VERTICAL WELLS OR FROM UNDERGROUND COAL MINES. THE PLANNED HYDRAULIC HORIZONTAL DRILLING METHOD CAN BE APPLIED FROM SURFACE OR UNDERGROUND LOCATIONS. DRILLING FROM THE SURFACE WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED FROM A CONVENTIONAL VERTICAL WELL WITH AN UNDERREAMED CAVITY. THE HYDRAULIC NOZZLE WOULD PASS THROUGH A WHIPSTOCK THAT WOULD RE-ORIENT IT FROM A VERTICAL TO A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION. IN A SURFACE COAL MINE, THE DRILLING COULD BE INITIATED IN A HORIZONTAL DIRECTION RIGHT FROM AN EXPOSED COAL FACE. THIS APPROACH COULD BE USED IN A SIMILAR MANNER IN UNDERGROUND MINES WITH EXPLOSION-PROOF EQUIPMENT.