During diagenesis, the transformation of unconsolidated sediments into a sandstone is usually accompanied by compaction, water expulsion, cementation and dissolution, which fundamentally control the extent, connectivity and complexity of the pore structure in sandstone. As the pore structure is intimately related to fluid flow in porous media, it is of great importance to characterize the pore structure of a hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone in a comprehensive way. Although conventional petrophysical methods such as mercury injection porosimetry, low-pressure nitrogen or carbon dioxide adsorption are widely used to characterize the pore structure of rocks, these evaluations are based on idealized pore geometry assumptions, and the results lack direct information on the pore geometry, connectivity and tortuosity of pore channels. In view of the problems, X-ray micro-CT was combined with ImageJ software (version 1.8.0) to quantitatively characterize the pore structure of Berea Sandstone. Based on its powerful image processing function, a series of treatments such as contrast enhancement, noise reduction and threshold segmentation, were first carried out on the micro-CT images of the sandstone via ImageJ. Pores with sizes down to 2.25 μm were accurately identified. Geometric parameters such as pore area, perimeter and circularity could thus be extracted from the segmented pores. According to our evaluations, pores identified in this study are mostly in the range of 30–180 μm and can be classified into irregular, high-circularity and slit-shaped pores. An irregular pore is the most abundant type, with an area fraction of 72.74%. The average porosity obtained in the image analysis was 19.10%, which is fairly close to the experimental result determined by a helium pycnometer on the same sample. According to the functional relationship between tortuosity and permeability, the tortuosity values of the pore network were estimated to be in the range of 4–6 to match the laboratory permeability data.

Coalbed methane is now large-scalely explorated and exploitated in the world. The Changzhi coalbed methane block, south-central Qinshui Basin, is a new resource target zone for coalbed methane exploration and exploitation in China. However, the gas content distribution of this block and its influential factors have not yet studied. Based on the recent coalbed methane exploration and exploitation activities, the gas content distribution of coal reservoir in this block was studied. The results show that the gas content hold by the coal reservoir is 7.0 − 21.7 m³/t, which was determined by a combining control effect from geologic structure and hydrogeology. The Changzhi coalbed methane block has experienced multiple-stages geologic structure evolution, especially a tectonic-thermal event during the middle Yanshanian Orogeny improved the coal to the current R _o,max 1.9 − 2.7% and meanwhile the coalbed methane was greatly generated. Subsequently, the widespreadly developed normal fault structures during the Himalayan Orogeny accelerated the coalbed methane escape through the “gas escape windows”, particularly where the location within the distance of about 1300 m to the “gas escape window” the gas content decreases significantly. Moreover, due to the action of the later Himalayan Orogeny, the slope areas of most Yanshanian fold structures were structurally cross-cut by the Himalayan normal faults, and thus an “open” syncline folds were formed. The coal reservoir was depressurized surrounding this “open” syncline structure and consequently the hydrodynamic losing effect has resulted in a comparatively lower gas content therein. By the control of geologic structure and hydrogeology, this block can be generally, compartmentalized into three hydrodynamic systems including the western groundwater stagnation region, the middle runoff region, and the north-eastern recharge region, where the hydrodynamic sealing effect at the groundwater stagnation region has made a comparatively higher gas content for the coal reservoir, but the hydrodynamic losing effect at the recharge region and runoff region has made a comparatively lower gas content of the coal reservoir.

Jiaozuo coalfield is located in the northwest of Henan province, China, and close to the Southern Qinshui coal basin, the most successfully commercial CBM resource developed area in China. The No. II₁ coal seam is the main economic coal seam in Jiaozuo coalfield and its average thickness exceeds 5.36m. The maximum reflectance of vitrinite (R_O,max) of the No. II₁ coal across the Jiaozuo is between 3.16% and 4.78%. The coalbody structure of the No. II₁ coal seam changes greatly in different part and can be generally divided into 1∼3 sub-layers. The micropores in the No.II₁ coal seam is the major pores, secondly are transitional pores, and then less macropores and mesopores. The No. II₁ coal seam has stronger adsorption, and the reservoir natural permeability has an evident heterogeneity vary from 0.0001 to 83.71mD. High permeability region is often near fault structure or the boundary of fault block. The CBM genetic type is homologous thermal cracking gas of humic coal with high matunity. Gas content with the burial depth of 163∼1070m varies very greatly from 4.65 to 45.75m³/t, with an average value of 18.3m³/t, and gradually increases from northeast to southwest. According to the latest evaluation for CBM resource in Jiaozuo coalfield, the existing total in-place CBM resources in the No. II₁ coal seam with the depth of shallower than 2000 m are close to 1.2 × 10¹²m³, most of them mainly distribute in the depth of 1000 ∼ 1500 m. The existing total in-place CBM resources is dominated by the inferred CBM resource reserves (more than 70%), which distribute the undrilled places with few coal geological knowledge and deeper than 1000m. The resource concentration of the No. II₁ coal seam in Jiaozuo coalfield is in the range of (0.513–3.478)x10⁸ m³/km², with an average value of 1.805×10⁸ m³/km². Based on the CBM resource investigation and reservoir evaluation, the most prospective target zones for CBM production in Jiaozuo coalfield include Guhanshan coal mine, Jiulishan coal mine and the west part of Qiangnan coal district.