STUDY OF METHANE GAS FLOW CHARACTERISTICS THROUGH ROCK FRACTURES AT LABORATORY SCALE

• Main Author: Satrio Saidpudin, M.
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/85465
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Abandoned coal mines can release methane gas (CH4) at a nearly constant rate over a long period. This methane gas (CH4) can flow to the surface through cracks and fissures in the rock layers above the coal mine. This research examines methane gas (CH4) flow characteristics in rock fractures through laboratory experiments, focusing on how fracture morphology size and type affects gas flow. Key parameters studied include methane concentration, diffusion coefficient (Dm), and intrinsic permeability (k). Results indicate that higher gas flow velocities correlate with greater diffusion coefficients (Dm), while smaller fractures result in lower diffusion coefficients (Dm) values. Simple fractures yield higher diffusion coefficients (Dm) than complex ones. Measured diffusion coefficients for the samples are: S1 (1.098 × 10-6 m²/s), S2 (1.465 × 10-6 m²/s), S3 (8.055 × 10-6 m²/s), K1 (2.929 × 10-7 m²/s), K2 (7.323 × 10-7 m²/s), and K3 (2.563 × 10-6 m²/s). The intrinsic permeability values are: S1 (8.333 × 10-8 m²), S2 (7.5 × 10-7 m²), S3 (2.083 × 10-6 m²), K1 (8.333 × 10-8 m²), K2 (7.5 × 10-7 m²), and K3 (2.083 × 10-6 m²).