Technical advances in well type and drilling & completion for high-efficient development of coalbed methane in China

Compared with the United States, Australia, Canada, and other countries, China's coalbed methane reservoir is featured by low formation pressure, low permeability, low gas saturation, and strong heterogeneity, which not only increases the difficulty of reservoir stimulation but also restricts the single well production and the recovery efficiency of coalbed methane (CBM). In view of this, the research and application of horizontal drilling and completion technology of CBM at home and abroad are reviewed to provide references and theoretical supports for the advancement of the horizontal well engineering technology of CBM in China. This paper introduces a series of horizontal drilling and completion technologies (e.g., the well type design, well structure optimization, well trajectory control, wellbore stability, completion optimization, reservoir protection, etc.). The advanced technologies and their adaptability, including screen pipe completion and stimulation with dual-layer tubular strings, radial horizontal well screen pipe completion and magnetic steering drilling, are dialectically discussed in this paper. In addition, a novel integrated engineering mode for the efficient and green development of deep CBM and coal through the underground “well factory” is proposed. The conclusions are as follows: (1) In view of the geological conditions and surface environment of the coal seam in China, the horizontal drilling and completion technologies of high rank coalbed methane should be further refined, and an integrated development for the coal measure gas is required; (2) More efforts should be made to strengthen the innovative research on horizontal drilling & completion technology for low-medium rank coals and the broken coal, so as to identify the efficient development mode for the complex coalbed methane reservoir; (3) When encountering major technical challenges during the green and efficient development of unconventional coal mines such as deep coal mines, low grade coal mines and thin coal seams in China, it is necessary to explore the development mode via in-situ conversion process based on underground “well factory” to realize the integrated green and efficient development of deep CBM and coal; (4) The high quality transformation with low-carbon and green energy in China will not only ensure national energy security, but also achieve the goal of “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality”.