Numerical Analysis of Permeability Rebound and Recovery during Coalbed Methane Extraction and Its Implications for Enhanced Coalbed Methane Extraction through Injection of Superheated Water

Permeability rebound and recovery are pivotal in determining the efficacy of coalbed methane (CBM) extraction and the impact of superheated water injection during thermally enhanced CBM extraction. Existing research predominantly focuses on the roles of effective stress and methane desorption shrinkage, often neglecting the critical influence of the temperature. Therefore, our study introduces a mathematical model incorporating heat-fluid–solid coupling and a permeability evolution model considering temperature variations. The model was used to analyze the phenomenon of permeability rebound and recovery during CBM extraction and the effects of various factors on it. The results show that the permeability rebound and recovery time increase with initial gas pressure but decrease with initial diffusion coefficient and permeability. Initial coal seam temperature has little effect on the permeability rebound time, which increases the recovery time. The permeability rebound value rises with the initial diffusion coefficient but falls with the initial gas pressure and permeability, and the coal seam temperature has little impact on it. In addition, whether to consider the temperature on the permeability evolution is compared. The results reveal that temperature impact causes an elevation in permeability rebound, prolongs rebound and recovery time, and reduces postrecovery permeability ratio compared to the scenario without temperature influence. Inspired by the law of permeability evolution, this paper discusses the impact of injection pressure and temperature on the effectiveness of superheated water injection in the initial stage of enhanced CBM recovery engineering practice. The findings offer valuable insights into selecting optimal injection parameters tailored to various coal seams.