In-situ detection and analysis of methane in coal bed methane formations with spectrometers

A method of measuring methane in at least one coal bed methane well, comprising:

• providing an instrument package in a housing,
• lowering the package to a depth down the well,
• positioning a radiation source to irradiate a sample and a detector to detect a characteristic radiation from the sample,
• irradiating the sample with radiation from the radiation source to produce the characteristic radiation from the sample, and
• measuring a concentration of methane in the sample by detecting the characteristic radiation from the sample with the detector, transmitting a signal from the detector to a signal processor and processing the signal to calculate the concentration of the methane in the sample.

A measuring system for introduction into a well, comprising:

• a housing being traversable up and down the well,
• a guide extending down the well from a fixed location and being operatively connected to the housing,
• a spectrometer being located inside the housing and including a radiation source, a sample interface to transmit a radiation from the radiation source to a sample located outside of the housing, and a detector to detect a characteristic radiation emitted, reflected or scattered from the sample and to output a signal, and
• a signal processor to process the signal from the detector and calculate a concentration of a substance in the sample.

A measuring system for in-situ measurements down a well with a borehole by a spectrometer, comprising:

• the spectrometer including a radiation source and a detector,
• a probe being optically connected to the spectrometer and including an optical pathway for transmission of a radiation from the radiation source and at least a second optical pathway for transmission of a characteristic radiation from a sample to the detector, and
• a positioner to position the probe near a side surface of the borehole and to optically couple the optical pathways to the side surface of the borehole,
• wherein the probe is traversable up and down the well by way of a guide operatively connected to the probe and to a fixed location at the wellhead.

A method of measuring a side surface of a borehole using optical spectrometers, comprising:

• providing the optical spectrometer including a radiation source and a detector,
• optically connecting the side surface of the borehole to the radiation source and the detector,
• irradiating the side surface of the borehole with radiation from the radiation source,
• collecting a characteristic radiation emitted, reflected or scattered from an interaction between the side surface of the borehole and the radiation from the radiation source,
• transmitting the characteristic radiation to the detector to thereby produce a signal,
• transmitting the signal to a signal processor, and
• calculating a concentration of a substance on the side surface of the borehole.