About This Item

Share This Item

The AAPG/Datapages Combined Publications Database

AAPG Bulletin

Abstract


Volume: 69 (1985)

Issue: 2. (February)

First Page: 317

Last Page: 317

Title: Red Mountain Unit, Piceance Basin, Colorado: Field Laboratory for Research and Development in Coal Bed Methane Production: ABSTRACT

Author(s): Stephen K. Wiman, Gregory J. Bell

Article Type: Meeting abstract

Abstract:

The coal bed methane resource of the Piceance basin has been estimated to exceed 60 tcf. Two wells have been drilled in Red Mountain unit, Mesa County, Colorado, to develop and improve the technology required to produce gas from deeply buried coal seams via vertical wells. The objective at Red Mountain is the Cameo coal member, Williams Fork Formation, Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde Group, at depths of about 5,500 ft. The 1 Deep Seam was drilled with the objective of coring and evaluating reservoir properties of both the coal and bounding sandstones. A continuous section of more than 200 ft of 3-in. core was recovered. Pressure transient tests were conducted in the 20-ft thick coal seam and in the overlying sandstone unit. The 2 Deep Seam was drilled underbalanced with an air foam mixture, resulting in minimal formation damage and excellent recovery of coal cuttings. Extensive reservoir and production testing has been performed for the purpose of designing artificial stimulation procedures. Subsequent drilling and production testing at Red Mountain may require five additional years and may include as many as 20 additional wells.

End_of_Article - Last_Page 317------------

Copyright 1997 American Association of Petroleum Geologists