A macro-scale view of the influence of effective stress on carbon dioxide flow behaviour in coal: an experimental study

Abstract

Existing studies highlight the uncertainty in the process of CO2 sequestration in deep coal seams, mainly due to the associated CO2 adsorption-induced coal matrix rearrangements. This complexity is further increased by the highly heterogeneous nature of the coal mass which causes issues in reproducing field conditions under laboratory conditions. The main objective of this study is therefore to determine the permeability behaviour in coal for CO2 flow using macro-scale reconstituted coal specimens (203 mm in diameter and 1000 mm in length), particularly under various effective stress conditions. A series of core flooding experiments was conducted on Australian brown coal, using an advanced c..