CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a major coal producer and emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for CO₂ utilization and storage. The main goal of this work is to study the feasibility of CO2 as a feedstock for enhanced coalbed methane recovery (CO2-ECBM), as well as the assoc...

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Main Authors: Majid Safaei-Farouji, David Misch, Reinhard F. Sachsenhofer, Nikolaos Kostoglou, Garri Gaus, Thorsten Bauersachs, Medet Junussov, Milovan Fustic
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-11-01
Series:Journal of CO2 Utilization
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221298202500188X
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author Majid Safaei-Farouji
David Misch
Reinhard F. Sachsenhofer
Nikolaos Kostoglou
Garri Gaus
Thorsten Bauersachs
Medet Junussov
Milovan Fustic
author_facet Majid Safaei-Farouji
David Misch
Reinhard F. Sachsenhofer
Nikolaos Kostoglou
Garri Gaus
Thorsten Bauersachs
Medet Junussov
Milovan Fustic
author_sort Majid Safaei-Farouji
collection DOAJ
description Kazakhstan is a major coal producer and emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for CO₂ utilization and storage. The main goal of this work is to study the feasibility of CO2 as a feedstock for enhanced coalbed methane recovery (CO2-ECBM), as well as the associated geological storage potential of the D6 coal seam in the Karaganda Basin. For this purpose, coal samples were investigated using elemental analysis, Rock-Eval pyrolysis (RE), organic petrography as well as low-pressure (LP: N2, CO2), and high-pressure (HP: CO2, CH4) sorption tests. Vitrinite reflectance values show that seam D6 reached the medium-volatile bituminous rank. Higher organic matter content significantly increases the LP CO2 sorption capacity. The adsorption-desorption isotherms of CO2 recorded under both LP and HP conditions show a hysteresis loop. This is probably due to interactions between CO2 and functional groups leading to enhanced physisorption at LP and chemisorption and matrix swelling at HP conditions. This effect is favorable for storage purposes as it implies safe CO2 trapping even at reduced reservoir pressure. The CBM potential of seam D6 is estimated at 9 billion m3 initial gas and 360 million m3 producible gas in place. Estimates of the adsorptive and total CO2 storage capacity yielded 1.1 and 3.6 gigatons (Gt), respectively. With this considerable total storage capacity, Kazakhstan's current annual CO2 emissions could be stored for 14 years. This study highlights how CO2 can be effectively utilized as a feedstock to enhance methane recovery while achieving long-term CO2 sequestration.
format Article
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publishDate 2025-11-01
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spelling doaj-art-827d2173d20446b6bb7e1392b13bb18f2025-08-23T04:48:21ZengElsevierJournal of CO2 Utilization2212-98392025-11-0110110320410.1016/j.jcou.2025.103204CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, KazakhstanMajid Safaei-Farouji0David Misch1Reinhard F. Sachsenhofer2Nikolaos Kostoglou3Garri Gaus4Thorsten Bauersachs5Medet Junussov6Milovan Fustic7Chair of Energy Geosciences, Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics, Montanuniversität Leoben, Leoben 8700, Austria; Corresponding author.Chair of Energy Geosciences, Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics, Montanuniversität Leoben, Leoben 8700, AustriaChair of Energy Geosciences, Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics, Montanuniversität Leoben, Leoben 8700, AustriaDepartment of Materials Science, Montanuniversität Leoben, Leoben 8700, AustriaEnergy and Mineral Resources Group (EMR), Institute of Organic Biogeochemistry in GeoSystems, RWTH Aachen University, Lochnerstraße 4-20, Aachen 52056, Germany; Fraunhofer Research Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geotechnologies, Aachen 52062, GermanyEnergy and Mineral Resources Group (EMR), Institute of Organic Biogeochemistry in GeoSystems, RWTH Aachen University, Lochnerstraße 4-20, Aachen 52056, GermanySchool of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana, KazakhstanSchool of Mining and Geosciences, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan; Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4 CanadaKazakhstan is a major coal producer and emitter of carbon dioxide (CO2), presenting both a challenge and an opportunity for CO₂ utilization and storage. The main goal of this work is to study the feasibility of CO2 as a feedstock for enhanced coalbed methane recovery (CO2-ECBM), as well as the associated geological storage potential of the D6 coal seam in the Karaganda Basin. For this purpose, coal samples were investigated using elemental analysis, Rock-Eval pyrolysis (RE), organic petrography as well as low-pressure (LP: N2, CO2), and high-pressure (HP: CO2, CH4) sorption tests. Vitrinite reflectance values show that seam D6 reached the medium-volatile bituminous rank. Higher organic matter content significantly increases the LP CO2 sorption capacity. The adsorption-desorption isotherms of CO2 recorded under both LP and HP conditions show a hysteresis loop. This is probably due to interactions between CO2 and functional groups leading to enhanced physisorption at LP and chemisorption and matrix swelling at HP conditions. This effect is favorable for storage purposes as it implies safe CO2 trapping even at reduced reservoir pressure. The CBM potential of seam D6 is estimated at 9 billion m3 initial gas and 360 million m3 producible gas in place. Estimates of the adsorptive and total CO2 storage capacity yielded 1.1 and 3.6 gigatons (Gt), respectively. With this considerable total storage capacity, Kazakhstan's current annual CO2 emissions could be stored for 14 years. This study highlights how CO2 can be effectively utilized as a feedstock to enhance methane recovery while achieving long-term CO2 sequestration.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221298202500188XCCSCO2 utilizationCO2-ECBMKazakhstanKaraganda coal basin
spellingShingle Majid Safaei-Farouji
David Misch
Reinhard F. Sachsenhofer
Nikolaos Kostoglou
Garri Gaus
Thorsten Bauersachs
Medet Junussov
Milovan Fustic
CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, Kazakhstan
Journal of CO2 Utilization
CCS
CO2 utilization
CO2-ECBM
Kazakhstan
Karaganda coal basin
title CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, Kazakhstan
title_full CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, Kazakhstan
title_fullStr CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, Kazakhstan
title_full_unstemmed CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, Kazakhstan
title_short CO2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams: A case study on Carboniferous coals from the Karaganda Basin, Kazakhstan
title_sort co2 utilization and sequestration potential in deep coal seams a case study on carboniferous coals from the karaganda basin kazakhstan
topic CCS
CO2 utilization
CO2-ECBM
Kazakhstan
Karaganda coal basin
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221298202500188X
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