WellDog released today the third generation of its GasMapper coal gas assessment service, extending the successful service to use in the slim boreholes used widely by the coal mining industry.
The service enables coal miners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase mine safety by quickly and accurately identifying where carbon dioxide and methane occur in coal seams targeted for mining and how those gases can be drained safely and quickly prior to mining.
“Developing the Slimhole GasMapper required substantial, and challenging, miniaturization of our Reservoir Raman System tool,” said Pete Christian, Chief Commercialization Officer and vice president of engineering at WellDog. “However, we can now quickly and accurately measure coal gas content and permeability with one easy test in the less expensive boreholes. This will help our customers reduce their fugitive greenhouse gas emissions, increase mine worker safety, and enhance production of clean burning natural gas from coals targeted for mining.”
GasMapper is a downhole technical measurement service that evaluates the carbon dioxide and methane outburst, explosive and atmospheric emission risks for coal mines and informs coal mine operators on pre-drainage of the coals in order to reduce or eliminate those risks. WellDog’s third generation service involves a miniaturized Raman sensor and improved tubing joint sealing process, allowing the measurement system to be deployed reliably in slim boreholes include ubiquitous 96 mm HQ boreholes.
Commercialization of the slimhole service follows a multi-year, multi-million dollar development effort at the company’s Reservoir Technology Center in Laramie, Wyoming. WellDog launched the GasMapper service in 2012 after a successful two year development partnership with BHP Billiton in Queensland.
Outburst and explosive gas incidents occur regularly in the industry. China, for example, has averaged more than 200 incidents per year over the past 50 years. In addition, the US Environmental Protection Agency estimates that coal mines worldwide emitted 589 million tons of CO2-equivalent greenhouse gases in 2010, and that emission rate is expected to increase by 33% by 2030.
WellDog has successfully delivered the GasMapper service and related services, SweetSpotter and GasSpotter, to operators working in coals around the world including, the US, Canada, China, Australia and Mozambique. The data collected by GasMapper is regularly accepted by key stakeholders.
Since 1999, WellDog has focused on providing cost effective, reliable, accurate subsurface data and data collection systems to high volume resource production operators such as shale oil and gas, coalbed methane, and coal mining operators.
GasMapper
The WellDog GasMapper service provides key coal seam data using in situ testing techniques in existing exploration holes. As a result, it enables coal mine operators to explore faster and more cost effectively without sacrificing safety, even in deeper, gasier coals.
WellDog has prepared this extended animation of the coalification, gas hazard and GasMapper testing processes. To view it, click the above image.
GasMapper has certain important features that make it attractive when exploring for coal seams:
• Revolutionary combination of Australian innovation and American invention
• Significantly reduces exploration costs and time
• Enables accurate sizing of ventilation systems, optimising operating costs and minimizing GHG emissions
• Trialled successfully with some of the largest coal miners in the world
• Can be performed in chip holes – no core hole needed
• 33% fewer drilling meters means 33% less drilling costs – and 33% less exploration time
• Widely accepted by coal seam gas auditors, enabling mine to book gas assets if desired
• Does not require supporting on-site laboratory, so suitable for remote locations
• Also measures carbon dioxide, if desired
• Avoids data uncertainty associated with ex situ and rock-based measurement techniques
• Coal mine safety experienced service provider
• The only testing method auditable for accuracy
• Tests shallow and deep seams
GasMapper provides a number of key advantages to operators that employ it, including to:
• Ascertain whether a particular coal requires gas pre-drainage prior to mining to maximize safety and minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
• If a coal requires gas pre-drainage, plan appropriate well types and spacing’s to dewater and drain the seam quickly and effectively.
• Map where gas occurs in a target coal field so that pre-drainage operations can focus on high gas areas.
• Accurately predict gas pre-drainage time required before underground mining can commence.
• Accelerate new coal mine exploration by reducing dependence on drilling rigs.
• Prove that pre-drainage operations comply with regulatory requirements before drainage commences.
GasMapper is designed for open hole, multizone situations, enabling you to quickly evaluate foundation and stringer coals in the same wellbore. And it’s suitable for drainage holes, allowing you to quickly validate initial drainage plans during subsequent drainage operations.
Technologies
Responsible, efficient exploration and production of energy has become a highly technical undertaking. New technologies offer an unparalleled opportunity to improve that process, thereby reducing environmental impact, increasing safety and improving company economics and community standards of living.
WellDog has built a reputation for adapting cutting-edge technology to create practical, easy-to-adopt technical solutions for key industry problems.
WellDog develops, sources, advances and manages a diverse set of innovative technologies. The company focuses on platform technologies that enable the company to address the numerous critical needs of today’s unconventional oil and gas and alternative energy industries in a high volume, low cost manner.
ABOUT WellDog: WellDog is an energy-focused technical services company that provides practical technical and business solutions in a high volume, cost effective manner with a remarkable customer focus. The company’s mission is to develop and deploy innovative technologies to produce resources faster, responsibly and sustainably. Since 1999, WellDog has focused on providing cost effective, reliable, accurate subsurface data and data collection systems to high volume resource production operators such as shale oil and gas, coalbed methane, and coal mining operators. The company’s ultimate aim is to assist in improving economic quality of life without reducing environmental quality of life.
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