Petrographic and Geochemical Controls on Methane Genesis, Pore Fractal Attributes, and Sorption of Lower Gondwana Coal of Jharia Basin, India

[Image: see text] The Barakar coal seams of Jharia Basin have been evaluated for the geochemical and petrographic control of coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir characteristics. The coal core samples are analyzed for the total gas content, gas chromatography, stable isotopes (δ(13)C(1)), and geochemical, petrographic and vitrinite reflectance. The significant face (1.6–7.6%) and butt (0.9–5.3%) cleat intensities specify the brittle characteristics of coal seams and also favor the gas flow mechanism. The thermal cracking position of hydrocarbon compounds was evaluated, which signifies the excellent source rock potential of coal for gas genesis. The inputs of type III and IV organic matter illustrated by the van Krevelan diagram signify thermally matured coal seams. The low values of sorption time (τ) between 2.1 and 5.6 days designate excellent diffusion characteristics that is favored by the cleat intensities. The values of total gas content and sorption capacity (V(L)) reveal that moderate saturation indicates a higher gas content, attributed to the seam thickness and thermal maturity. Similarly, the CH(4) concentrations (89.4–96.6 vol %) display that the genesis pattern is a function of thermal maturity; however, some samples fall under the mixed type substantiated by the stable isotope (δ(13)C(1)) (−25.40 to −64.90‰), emphasizing bacterial hold by seasonal influx of freshwater. The ternary facies diagram (V(mmf), I(mmf), L(mmf)) also supports notable generation of methane gas and storage in the coal seams of the Jharia Basin. The volume percentage of each maceral determined from petrographic study was used to estimate the fraction of conversion (f) of the organic content (0.19–0.97). The values of “f” indicate that the Barakar coal has undergone maximum conversion, which may be attributed to the older early Permian coal and placed at a greater depth after deposition due to the basin sink. The high fraction of conversion and thermal maturity may also be explained due to the existence of volcanic intrusion (sills and dykes). The uniformity in the distribution of functional groups is shown by Fourier transform infrared spectra representing moderate to stronger peaks of aromatic carbon (CO and C=C) between 1750 and 1450 cm(–1), which indicates that the presence of a larger total organic carbon content likely validates the removal of aliphatic compounds during gas genesis. The variations in the BET curve have been categorized as H1 hysteresis following the type II adsorption pattern, suggesting that cylindrical pores and some of the coal samples have a type IV H4 hysteresis pattern, characterized as the slit type of pores. The average values of the pore diameter indicate the dominance of mesopores suitable for gas storage and release and hence a major part of the pore volume is contributed by the mesopores having a width mainly between 2.98 and 4.48 nm. The significant role of the meso-macropore network (D(1) fractals) in methane storage of the coal matrix is represented by a moderate positive relationship of V(L) with D(1), which accentuated that meso-macropores developed due to devolatilization and dehydration of organic matter and also by geochemical alteration of macerals and minerals formed heterogenetic inner surfaces suitable for gas adsorption. The estimated recoverable resource applying Mavor Pratt methods is 8.78 BCM, which is found to be a more realistic resource value for the studied CBM block.