Abstract
Many coals, in particular coals of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age, generate significant quantities of “oil” constituents. At the same time few commercial oil deposits can be demonstrated to have originated from coal derived fluids. In this paper we examine mass loss and volumetric changes of coals during petroleum generation. We do not find evidence for the view that coals do not expel fluids before secondary cracking have eliminated the oil potential. Mass balance and sorption data indicate that coal constituents have lower retention capacity than e g, classic oil source rocks. It is concluded that there must be a direct link between the generation/desorption of petroleum and the deformation of the coal. A continuum physics approach is applied to evaluate possible coal rheologies and the compaction behavior, given the state and forces which acts on the coal during petroleum generation. The coal during generation must behave in a fluid like manner. The diffusive micro scale transport of petroleum molecules in the coal matrix causes the coal to deform with a viscous rheology. The desorption of petroleum from the coal matrix instantaneously creates a mechanically unstable state, and a related fluid potential gradient in the petroleum will drive the petroleum out of the coal together with related compaction of the coal. The expulsion will be particularly efficient in normally pressured sedimentary sections, where petroleum is expelled nearly symmetrically in both directions. In sections with hard overpressure prior to generation/expulsion, there will be a stronger tendency for upward expulsion. The main driving force for expulsion is independent of the volume expansion of the organic matter. The deficiency of oil deposits from coals, must be related to factors other than the expulsion efficiency.
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Michelsen, J.K., Khavari-Khorasani, G. (1999). The Physics and Efficiency of Petroleum Expulsion from Coal. In: Mastalerz, M., Glikson, M., Golding, S.D. (eds) Coalbed Methane: Scientific, Environmental and Economic Evaluation. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1062-6_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-1062-6_30
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