We extend a previously derived kinetic model for coal bioconversion and couple it with a transport model to simulate coreflooding experiments with packed crushed coal, which are representations of a coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir at the laboratory scale. We apply a tanks-in-series model to simulate plug flow in the core, and the nonlinear model is regressed against experimental data using particle swarm optimization. The validated model is used to analyze CBM production at different operating conditions and subsequently for the optimization of gas production. Model-based experimental design is applied to improve the accuracy of parameter estimation, and computational singular perturbation analysis is applied to develop a better understanding of the important species and reaction at each stage of the coreflooding experiment, and to develop reduced order kinetic models that can be used in process optimization. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.