Temperature Dependencies of Compressional Wave Velocity and Attenuation in Hydrate-Bearing Coal Samples

Abstract

Gas hydrates are widespread in nature. Hydrate-bearing sands are well studied due to their high permeability and potential as a new resource of natural gas. Other hydrate-bearing deposits are studied less, in spite of the fact that earlier it was hypothesized the possible presence of gas hydrates in coal. But the possibility of the formation of gas hydrate from bound water in coal was confirmed in experiments recently. This work considers the results of a series of experiments to study the acoustic properties of coal samples containing methane hydrate. As a result, the temperature dependence of compressional wave velocity and attenuation was revealed.