CFT Patented Lateral Drilling Technology

The challenge of finding a safe, efficient, cost effective drilling, completion and production model to extract methane gas is paramount to any CBM project’s success.

Bringing proven technology employed in the oil & gas industry to CBM extraction, CFT Holdings has developed an extraction solution which it believes will enable CBM to be extracted from difficult coals in a safe, efficient, cost effective manner.

This patented process, known as Unconventional Lateral Drilling System (ULDS), involves drilling laterally adjacent to the problematic coals, thin coal seams, coals adjacent to aquifers, coal seams to be mined out, all the while controlling the access to the coals via various completion mechanisms. The completions are perforated or jetted at right angles to the horizontal borehole, and thus intersecting all the target coal seams. The aim of the process is to extract gas at better efficiencies, at higher rates,and gas that was previously inaccessible or considered to be uneconomic.

The results ensure a trouble-free borehole that may be used throughout its life for production of gas and water, mine gas, and ventilation purposes.

CFT Holdings aims to market and license its ULDS technology to CBM mining companies globally, to minimise the traditional objections to CBM mining and open up previously inaccessible CBM resources.

Benefits

• Fast and cost effective non reservoir invasive drilling system
• Accesses additional and previously uneconomic resources
• Multiple lateral wells access a large area from a single site
• No chemicals, no fracking and minimal aquifer interference
• Simple mud system not in contact with any reservoir thus wellbore/reservoir damage is not an issue
• Drilling takes place laterally above the coal seam
• No interference with mine operations
• Mine roof integrity maintained
• Cost reduction associated with venting the coal seam during mining
• Single operational site – reduced landowner/stakeholder impact
• Low surface impact on the environment
• Safe, remote gas extraction from mine operations