Method and apparatus for sequestering CO2 gas and releasing natural gas from coal and gas shale formations
OwnerBen M. Enis, Paul Liebermaninventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for sequestering CO2 gas and releasing natural gas from underground coal and/or gas shale formations using CO2 gas captured from the flue gas of a coal burning power plant, and processing it to produce cold liquid pressurized CO2, and injecting the cold liquid CO2 under pressure to create fractures within the formation and causing the CO2 to be adsorbed into the coal or gas shale and CH4 to be desorbed, released and recovered. No high volume of water, no toxic additives to the water and no sand proppants are used for hydro-fracture of the gas shale or coal bed.
Claims20
A method of sequestering carbon dioxide and recovering natural gas from a coal or gas shale reservoir or formation, comprising:
- capturing or producing carbon dioxide gas from coal or from the flue gases of a power plant, incinerator or chemical processing plant;
- pressurizing and cooling the carbon dioxide gas to create pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide with no proppants or toxic additives added therein;
- injecting the pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide into an injection pipe extended into said reservoir or formation, wherein said injection pipe has perforations that allow the carbon dioxide to be released into said reserevoir or formation;
- releasing the pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide through said perforations and into said coal or shale and creating fractures therein;
- allowing the liquid carbon dioxide to adsorb onto the coal or shale and allowing natural gas to be desorbed and released from the coal or shale;
- and
- allowing the natural gas released from the coal or shale to pass through the fractures and toward said injection pipe and/or an additional recovery pipe, and allowing the natural gas to rise to the surface through said pipe or pipes.
An apparatus for sequestering carbon dioxide and recovering natural gas from a coal or gas shale reservoir or formation, comprising:
- a device that produces carbon dioxide gas or captures and separates carbon dioxide gas from the flue gases of a power plant, incinerator or chemical processing plant;
- a device that pressurizes and cools the carbon dioxide gas to create pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide with no proppants or toxic additives added therein;
- an injection pipe extended into said reservoir having perforations that allow the liquid carbon dioxide to be released into said reservoir or formation;
- fractures within said reservoir or formation created by injecting the pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide into said injection pipe and allowing the cold liquid carbon dioxide to be released under pressure through said perforations into said reservoir or formation;
- natural gas within said reservior or formation desorbed and released from the coal or shale as the carbon dioxide is adsorbed onto the coal or shale;
- and
- at least one recovery pipe extended upward from said reservoir or formation through which the natural gas released from the coal or shale can be recovered at the surface.
A method of recovering natural gas from a reservoir having coal or shale therein, comprising:
- pressurizing and cooling carbon dioxide gas to create pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide;
- providing at least one recovery pipe extended into said reservoir and closing a valve on said recovery pipe;
- injecting the pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide into an injection pipe extended into said reservoir, wherein said injection pipe has perforations that allow the carbon dioxide to be released into said reservoir;
- releasing the pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide through said perforations into said reservoir and creating fractures within said reservoir;
- causing the pressure within said reservoir to build up and allowing the pressurized cold liquid carbon dioxide to be adsorbed onto the coal or shale found in said reservoir and the natural gas in the coal or shale to be desorbed therefrom;
- turning off the injection of the cold liquid carbon dioxide and closing a valve on said injection pipe;
- allowing the temperature of the cold liquid carbon dioxide within said reservior to be increased and/or the pressure within said reservoir to be reduced, thereby causing the cold liquid carbon dioxide to change phase from a liquid to a gas, thereby creating expansion and more fractures within said reservoir;
- and
- gradually opening said injection pipe, and said at least one recovery pipe, to allow the natural gas formed within said reservoir to rise to the surface through said pipes without substantially releasing the pressure within said reservior too quickly.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.