Overview
ISO 18875:2015 - Coalbed methane exploration and development - Terms and definitions - is an International Standard that establishes consistent terminology for the coalbed methane (CBM) industry. It covers key vocabulary used in geology and exploration, engineering and construction, and field development and production of CBM wells. The standard standardizes definitions for terms such as coalbed methane (CBM), adsorption/desorption, Langmuir volume and pressure, cleat and fracture, well types (directional, horizontal, multi-lateral), completions, stimulation (including hydraulic fracturing), and production concepts like flowing bottomhole pressure (FBHP). ISO 18875:2015 explicitly does not cover surface gathering systems.
Key topics and requirements
ISO 18875:2015 is a terminology document rather than a procedural or performance standard. Key technical topics included are:
- Geology & exploration: definitions for CBM, gas content, CBM reservoir, coal rank, adsorption isotherm, Langmuir parameters, diffusion coefficient, seismic exploration, resources and reserves.
- Engineering & construction: standardized terms for drilling and well geometry (measured depth, true vertical depth, azimuth, dog-leg severity), casing programme, directional/horizontal and cluster wells, coring, cementing, and well completion methods (open hole, cased hole, cavern, screen pipe).
- Stimulation & fracturing: terms describing hydraulic fracturing, proppant, fracture conductivity, fracture pressure/gradient, staged fracturing and re-fracturing.
- Development & production: well patterns, drainage, inter-well interference, flowing bottomhole pressure (FBHP), casing pressure, coal fines and mitigation (clamp off), and basic production operations.
As a definitions standard, its primary “requirements” are to use the standardized terms and definitions to avoid ambiguity in technical documents, contracts, reports and cross-border projects.
Applications and users
ISO 18875:2015 is useful to:
- CBM operators and field engineers for consistent reporting and design communication.
- Geoscientists and reservoir engineers when describing reservoir properties (adsorption, Langmuir parameters, gas content).
- Drilling, completion and stimulation contractors for unambiguous procedural documents and procurement specs.
- Regulators, consultants and auditors who assess permits, environmental reports and safety documents.
- Standards writers, translators and educators who need harmonized terminology for training materials, international collaboration and documentation.
Using ISO 18875:2015 helps reduce misunderstandings in project specifications, technical papers, and multinational operations involving coalbed methane exploration, engineering and production.
Related standards
Several ISO documents and industry glossaries are cited within ISO 18875:2015 (e.g., ISO 15901‑2, ISO 3529‑1, ISO 9346, ISO 1213‑2, ISO 7404‑1) and the standard was prepared by ISO/TC 263 (Coalbed methane). For procedural or safety requirements, consult additional ISO standards and industry codes relevant to drilling, fracturing and gas handling.
