Well service compositions for consolidation of particulates in subterranean coal seams

1. A method of agglomerating coal particles in a subterranean formation having a coal seam, comprising:

a. providing a fluid having an aqueous medium and at least one of a first collector and a frother;

b. pumping the fluid into the formation and

c. contacting coal particles in the formation thereby agglomerating the contacted coal particles;

wherein the first collector is a hydrocarbon oil.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aqueous medium is water or a brine.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frother is a low molecular weight alcohol.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of: methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), amyl, hexyl, heptyl octyl, diethyl isohexyl alcohols, pine oil and glycol ethers.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the frother has a concentration of about 50-100 ml per ton of coal particles.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon oil has a concentration of about 0.02-1.5 L per ton of coal particles.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a gas into the fluid.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of: air, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising forming gas bubbles in the fluid thereby forming gas agglomerates of coal particles.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a second collector for silica minerals.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is selected from the group consisting of: simple primary amines, primary secondary amines, primary ether amines, primary ether diamines, tallow amines and tall oil fatty acid/amine condensates.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is an amine collector having at least about twelve carbon atoms.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is oleate salts.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising adding multivalent cations.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the multivalent cations are Ca ++ or Mg ++ .

16. A well service fluid composition for use in subterranean coal seams comprising:

an aqueous medium;

at least one of a collector for coal and a frother; and

a gas

wherein the collector for coal is a hydrocarbon oil.

17. The fluid composition of claim 16 , wherein the aqueous medium is water or brine.

18. The fluid composition of claim 16 , wherein the frother is a low molecular weight alcohol.

19. The fluid composition of claim 18 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of: methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), amyl, hexyl, heptyl octyl, diethyl isohexyl alcohols, pine oil and glycol ethers.

20. The fluid composition of claim 16 , wherein the frother has a concentration of about 50-100 ml per ton of coal.

21. The fluid composition of claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon oil is selected from the group consisting of: kerosene, fuel oil and a C 5 to C 8 hydrocarbon.

22. The fluid composition of claim 16 , wherein the hydrocarbon oil has a concentration of about 0.02-1.5 L per ton of coal.

23. The fluid composition of claim 16 , wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of: air, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

24. The fluid composition of claim 16 , further comprising a collector for silica minerals.

25. The fluid composition of claim 24 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is selected from the group consisting of: simple primary amines, primary secondary amines, primary ether amines, primary ether diamines, tallow amines and tall oil fatty acid/amine condensates.

26. The fluid composition of claim 24 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is an amine collector having at least about twelve carbon atoms.

27. The fluid composition of claim 24 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is oleate salts.

28. The fluid composition of claim 27 , further comprising multivalent cations.

29. The fluid composition of claim 28 , wherein the multivalent cations are Ca ++ or Mg ++ .

30. A method of agglomerating coal particles in an aqueous medium containing coal particles, comprising:

a. adding at least one of a collector and a frother to the aqueous medium;

b. forming a slurry of the coal particles and the aqueous medium; and

c. introducing a gas into the slurry thereby agglomerating the contacted coal particles

wherein the collector for coal is a hydrocarbon oil.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the collector is a hydrocarbon.

32. The method of claim 30 , wherein the aqueous medium is water or brine.

33. The method of claim 30 , wherein the frother is a low molecular weight alcohol.

34. The method of claim 33 , wherein the alcohol is selected from the group consisting of: methyl isobutyl carbinol (MIBC), amyl, hexyl, heptyl octyl, diethyl isohexyl alcohols, pine oil and glycol ethers.

35. The method of claim 30 , wherein the frother has a concentration of about 50-100 ml per ton of coal.

36. The method of claim 30 , wherein the hydrocarbon oil is selected from the group consisting of: kerosene, fuel oil and a C 5 to C 8 hydrocarbon.

37. The method of claim 30 , wherein the hydrocarbon oil has a concentration of about 0.02-1.5 L per ton of coal.

38. The method of claim 30 , wherein the gas is selected from the group consisting of: air, nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

39. The method of claim 30 , comprising adding a collector for silica minerals.

40. The method of claim 39 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is selected from the group consisting of simple primary amines, primary secondary amines, primary ether amines, primary ether diamines, tallow amines and tall oil fatty acid/amine condensates.

41. The method of claim 39 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is an amine collector having at least about twelve carbon atoms.

42. The method of claim 39 , wherein the collector for silica minerals is oleate salts.

43. The method of claim 42 , further comprising adding multivalent cations.

44. The method of claim 43 , wherein the multivalent cations are Ca ++ or Mg ++ .