Abstract
The paper presents the assessment of the resources of methane considered as the main mineral in the most prospective selected areas of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland in the region of undeveloped deposits. The methane resources were estimated by means of a volumetric method at three depth levels, 1000, 1250, and 1500 m. A part of the Studzienice deposit comprising three coal seams, 333, 336, and 337, located in a methane zone was chosen for the numerical modeling of simulated methane production. The presented static 3D model has been developed using Petrel Schlumberger software. The total resources of methane in the area amount to approximately 446.5 million of Nm3. Numerical simulations of methane production from the selected coal seams with hydraulic fracturing were conducted by means of Schlumberger ECLIPSE reservoir simulator. Based on the simulations, it was concluded that, in the first six months of the simulations, water is produced from the seams, which is connected with the decrease in the rock mass pressure. The process prompts methane desorption from the coal matrix, which in turn results in a total methane production of 76.2 million of Nm3 within the five-year period of the simulations, which constitutes about 17% of total methane resources (GIP). The paper also presents a detailed analysis of Polish legislation concerning the activities aimed at prospecting, exploring, and extracting the deposits of hydrocarbons.