Mechanical and thermal control of cleating and shearing in coal: examples from the Alabama coalbed methane field, USA
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Abstract
Natural fractures provide most of the interconnected macroporosity in coal. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of these fractures and the associated mechanisms of formation is essential for effective coalbed methane exploration and field management. Natural fractures in coal can be divided into two general types: cleat and shear structures. Cleat has been studied for more than a century, yet the mechanisms of cleat formation remain poorly understood (see reviews by Close, 1993; Laubach et al.,1998). An important aspect of cleating is that systematic fracturing of coal is takes place in concert with devolatization and concomitant shrinkage of the coal matrix during thermal maturation (Ammosov and Eremin, 1960). Coal, furthermore, is a mechanically weak rock type that is subject to bedding-plane shear between more competent beds like shale, sandstone, and limestone. Yet, the significance of shear structures in coal has only begun to attract scientific interest (Hathaway and Gayer, 1996; Pashin, 1998).
Study Area
| Publication type | Book chapter |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Book Chapter |
| Title | Mechanical and thermal control of cleating and shearing in coal: examples from the Alabama coalbed methane field, USA |
| DOI | 10.1007/978-94-017-1062-6_19 |
| Year Published | 1999 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Kluwer Academic |
| Publisher location | Dordrecht |
| Description | 23 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Book chapter |
| Larger Work Subtype | Book Chapter |
| Larger Work Title | Coalbed Methane: Scientific, Environmental and Economic Evaluation |
| First page | 305 |
| Last page | 327 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Alabama |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |