Joint Characterization and Fractal Laws of Pore Structure in Low-Rank Coal

The pore structure of low-rank coal reservoirs was highly complex. It was the basis for predicting the gas occurrence and outburst disasters. Different scale pores have different effects on adsorption-desorption, diffusion, and seepage in coalbed methane. To study the pore structure distribution characteristics, which are in different scales of low-rank coal with different metamorphism grade, the pore structure parameters of low-rank coal were obtained by using the mercury injection, N-2 adsorption, and CO2 adsorption. These three methods were used to test the pore volume and specific surface area of low-rank coal in their test ranges. Then, the fractal dimension method was used to calculate the fractal characteristics of the pore structure of full aperture section to quantify the complexity of the pore structure. The experimental results showed that the pore volume and specific surface area of low-rank coal were mainly controlled by microporous. The pore fractal characteristics were obvious. With the influence of coalification process, as the degree of coal metamorphism increases, fluctuations in the comprehensive fractal dimension, specific surface area, and pore volume of the pore size range occur within the range of R-max = 0.50% to 0.65%.

Automated summary

This study investigated the pore structure parameters of low-rank coal with different metamorphism grade using mercury injection, N-2 adsorption, and CO2 adsorption methods. The results showed that the pore volume and specific surface area of low-rank coal were controlled by micropores and exhibited obvious fractal characteristics. Fluctuations in the comprehensive fractal dimension, specific surface area, and pore volume occurred within the range of R-max = 0.50% to 0.65% with the influence of coalification process.