Coal as an Energy Alternative

Introduction
The essential property that distinguishes coal from the other rock types is that it is a combustible material. Coal able to provide alternative forms of energy, such as:

Gas Through chemical treatment to become liquid fuel By in situ combustion to convert coal to liquid and gaseous produtcs.

Gas in Coal
Bituminous coals contain a number of gases including methane, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen and ethane The amount of gas retained and held by a coal depends on various factors, such as:

Pressure Temperature Pyrite content

Large volumes of gas can be accommodated on the internal surfaces of coal as result of adsorption. It is released by the removal of pressure, usually by minning or drilling. The gas may migrate into associated strata such as porous sandstones, which is release the gas into openings such as boreholes and mine excavation

Methane is flammable gas and is explosive between a lower limit of 5% and upper limit of 15% when mixed with fresh air, known as firedamp. The methane content of the coal can be regarded as a significant source of energy and is the subject of large amount of research and development. Methane is usually referred to as coalbed-methane (CBM)

Coal-Bed-Methane (CBM)

CBM adalah gas metana (CH4) yang terbentuk secara alamiah dalam proses pembentukan batubara dalam kondisi terperangkap dan terserap dalam batubara.

CBM Generation
Major products of coalification process are CBM (CH4), CO2, N2, water CBM is generated in two ways:

1. During the early stages of coalification (below 500C)

This is biogenic methane and is formed by decomposition of the organic material, and where biological activity induces reducing condition which remove oxygen and sulphate. Where subsidence and burial are rapid, biogenic CBM may be trapped in shallow gas reservoirs.

2.

Catagenesis The process by which organic materaial is altered as a result of the effect of increasing temperature. CBM generated at temperature in excess of 500C will be due to this process and is reffered to as thermogenic methane.

Analysis of gas produced from coal beds shows that 95% is CBM, <3% of CO2 and N2, and trace amounts of higher hydrocarbons such as ethane, propane etc

CBM retention

CBM is retention in three ways:

As a free gas within pore space or fractures in the coal As adsorbed molecules on the organic surface of the coal Dissolved in groundwater within the coal.

Porosity in coals occurs as:

fracture porosity and matrix porosity

Fracture porosity in coal is primarily due to the formation of fracture called cleat. Cleat is a joint or set of joints perpendicular to the top and bottom of the coal seam

The primary mechanism of CBM retention in coal beds is adsorption on the coal surface within matrix pore structure. The maximum amounts of CBM that can be adsorbed on to the internal surfaces of coals according to coal rank and depth.

CBM production

The production of CBM from underground sources is either by draining old and current mine workingsor by production from wells sunk into virgin or unmined coal seam

CBM mine drainage

The increasing depth of coal seams usually equates with higher CBM content; this puts pressure on mine ventilation systems which have to be increased require that mines cease operation when methane-in-air levels exceed a predetermined percentage.

Drainage methods include vertical wells (vertical premine), gob wells (vertical gob), long hole horizontal boreholes and horizontal and cross measure boreholes

CBM well production methods

Drilling in deep low permeability reservoirs has demonstrated that open fractures can exist at depths 20003000m. The effect of horizontal and vertical stress component on deep lying coal beds; here test have been shown that CBM can be produced at economic rates from coal below 1500m under low to moderate stress conditions.

There are a number of methods by which CBM is produced from wells. The standar means for CBM production is by reservoir pressure depletion. Reservoir pressure is reduced by dewatering the coal bed; gas then desorbs from the matrix and microspores of the coal by a process of diffusion. The desorbs gas then flow to the well bore via the coal cleat and fracture system, along with any groundwater still present in the fracture

CBM di Indonesia (Bulletin BP Migas, No. 18 Januari 2007)

Indonesia memiliki cadanganCBM yang cukup besar. Penelitian awal yang telah dilakukan oleh Pertamina, bekerjasama dengan PT Chevron Pacific Indonesia pada tahun 2001 mengindikasikan adanya potensi sumberdaya CBM sekitar 337 TCF. Cadangan tersebut merupakan terbesar ketujuh di dunia dan tersebar

Selain terdapat di Sumatera Selatan, cadangan CBM yang cukup besar juga terdapat di Kalimantan yakni di cekungan Barito, Kutai dan Tarakan Utara. Masing masing memiliki potensi sumberdaya CBM 50-75 TCF pada kedalaman 350-2000 m dengan ketebalan lapisan batubara 20-100m. Di Sumatera Tengah, CBM diidentifikasi berada pada kedalaman lebih dari 2000 m pada formasi Kerinci dengan kandungan sebesar 50 TCF.

Bulletin BP Migas No.18 Januari 2007

Departemen ESDM (Bulletin BP Migas, No.18 Januari 2007)

Underground Gasification

Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Technology

The producer gas reaction The water gas reaction The methane synthesis

Steeply dipping bed gasification (SDB)

Controlled Injection Point (CRIP)

Coal as a Liquid fuel

There are various methods of coal liquefaction, the main problem being the deficiency of hydrogen in coal compared to liquid fuel.

This can be overcome by adding hydrogen to the coal by a number of processes:

Direct liquefaction by hydrogenation Indirect liquefaction by the FischerTropsche synthesis Removal of part of the carbon content from the coal by pyrolisis.

Hydrogenation
The H/C ratio is increased by adding a hydrogen donor. Coal is dispersed in a thermally stable solvent and/or hydrogen donor and pssed into a pressure aututhermal reactor at temperature between 400 and 5000C

The Fischer-Tropsche synthesis

Involves the gasification of the coal, carried out in a Lurgi gasifier to produce synthesis gases carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane. The methane is treated in a gas reformer and synthesis in a Kellog reactor

Pyrolisis
Involves the heating pulverised coal extremely rapidly in a vacuum, known as flash pyrolisis. The feed coal passes through a plastic stage during which the macerals soften and decompose into gas, char and tarr liquids. The tars are hydrogenated to produce heavy or lights oil as required.

Coal Properties for liquefaction

Vitrinite reflectance <0,8% H/C atomic ratio >0,75% Vitrinite+liptinite >60% Volatile matter (d.a.f) >35% Low concentration of heteroatoms

Coal as an oil-prone source rock