Underground coal mining in the U.S. is conducted in numerous regions where previous workings exist above and/or below an actively mined seam. Miners know that overlying or underlying fully extracted coal areas, also k...Underground coal mining in the U.S. is conducted in numerous regions where previous workings exist above and/or below an actively mined seam. Miners know that overlying or underlying fully extracted coal areas, also known as gob regions, can result in abutment stresses that affect the active mining. If there was no full extraction, and the past mining consists entirely of intact pillars, the stresses on the active seam are usually minimal. However, experience has shown that in some situations there has been sufficient yielding in overlying or underlying pillar systems to cause stress transfer to the adjoining larger pillars or barriers, which in turn, transfer significant stresses onto the workings of the active seam. In other words, the overlying or underlying pillar system behaves as a ‘‘pseudo gob." The presence of a pseudo gob is often unexpected, and the consequences can be severe. This paper presents several case histories, summarized briefly below, that illustrate pseudo gob phenomenon:(1) pillar rib degradation at a West Virginia mine at 335 m depth that contributed to a rib roll fatality,(2) pillar rib deterioration at a Western Kentucky mine at 175 m depth that required pillar size adjustment and installation of supplemental bolting,(3) roof deterioration at an eastern Kentucky mine at 400 m depth that stopped mine advance and required redirecting the section development,(4) coal burst on development at an eastern Kentucky mine at 520 m depth that had no nearby pillar recovery, and(5) coal burst on development at a West Virginia mine at the relatively shallow depth of 335 m that also had no nearby pillar recovery. The paper provides guidance so that when an operation encounters a potential pseudo gob stress interaction the hazard can be mitigated based on an understanding of the mechanism encountered.展开更多
Multiple coal seams widely develop in the deep Chinese coal-bearing strata. Ground in situ stress and coal seam gas pressure increase continuously with the increase of the mining depth, and coal and gas outburst disas...Multiple coal seams widely develop in the deep Chinese coal-bearing strata. Ground in situ stress and coal seam gas pressure increase continuously with the increase of the mining depth, and coal and gas outburst disasters become increasingly severe. When the coal is very deep, the gas content and pressure will elevate and thus coal seams tends to outburst-prone seams. The safety and economics of exploited firstmined coal seams are tremendously restricted. Meanwhile, the multiple seams occurrence conditions resulted in different methane pressure systems in the coal-bearing strata, which made the reservoir reconstruction of coal difficult. Given the characteristics of low saturation, low permeability, strong anisotropy and soft coal of Chinese coal seams, a single hydraulic fracturing surface well for reservoir reconstruction to pre-drain the coalbed methane(CBM) of multiple seams concurrently under the different gas pressure systems has not yet gained any breakthroughs. Based on analyses of the main features of deep CBM reservoirs in China, current gas control methods and the existing challenges in deep and multiple seams, we proposed a new technology for deep CBM reservoir reconstruction to realize simultaneous high-efficiency coal mining and gas extraction. In particular, we determined the first-mined seam according to the principles of effectiveness and economics, and used hydraulic fracturing surface well to reconstruct the first-mined seam which enlarges the selection range of the first-mined seam. During the process of mining first-mined seam, adjacent coal seams could be reconstructed under the mining effect which promoted high-efficiency pressure relief gas extraction by using spatial and comprehensive gas drainage methods(combination of underground and ground CBM extraction methods). A typical integrated reservoir reconstruction technology, ‘‘One well for triple use", was detailed introduced and successfully applied in the Luling coal mine. The application showed that the proposed technology could effectively promote coal mining safety and simultaneously high-efficiency gas extraction.展开更多
In the Kaiping Coal field,mining of five coal seams,located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group,#5,#7,#8,#9 and#12 coal seam,is difficult due to small interburden thickness,concentrated stress distributions,high coal sea...In the Kaiping Coal field,mining of five coal seams,located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group,#5,#7,#8,#9 and#12 coal seam,is difficult due to small interburden thickness,concentrated stress distributions,high coal seam metamorphism,and complex geological conditions.By using the ZTR12 geological penetration radar(GPR)survey combined with borehole observations,the overburden caving due to mining of the five coals seams was measured.The development characteristics of full-cover rock fractures after mining were obtained from the GPR scan,which provides a measurement basis for the control of rock strata in close multiple coal seam mining.For the first time,it was found that the overburden caving pattern shows a periodic triangular caved characteristic.Furthermore,it is proposed that an upright triangular collapsed pile masonry and an inverted triangular with larger fragments piled up alternately appear in the lower gob.The research results show that the roof structure formed in the gob area can support the key overlying strata,which is beneficial to ensure the integrity and stability of the upper coal seams in multiple-seam mining of close coal seams.展开更多
Gas production from multiple coal seams has become common practice in many coal basins around the world. Although gas production rates are typically enhanced, the economic viability of such practice is not well studie...Gas production from multiple coal seams has become common practice in many coal basins around the world. Although gas production rates are typically enhanced, the economic viability of such practice is not well studied. In order to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of multiple coal seams production, reservoir simulation integrated with economics modelling was performed to study the effect of important reservoir properties of the secondary coal seam on production and economic performance using both vertical and horizontal wells. The results demonstrated that multiple seam gas production of using both vertical and horizontal wells have competitive advantage over single layer production under most scenarios. Gas content and permeability of the secondary coal seam are the most important reservoir properties that have impact on the economic feasibility of multiple seam gas production. The comparison of vertical well and horizontal well performance showed that horizontal well is more economically attractive for both single well and gas field. Moreover, wellhead price is the most sensitive to the economic performance, followed by operating costs and government subsidy. Although the results of reservoir simulation combined with economic analysis are subject to assumptions, multiple seam gas production is more likely to maintain profitability compared with single layer production.展开更多
In this paper,the advantage of using numerical models with the strength reduction method(SRM) to evaluate entry stability in complex multiple-seam conditions is demonstrated.A coal mine under variable topography from ...In this paper,the advantage of using numerical models with the strength reduction method(SRM) to evaluate entry stability in complex multiple-seam conditions is demonstrated.A coal mine under variable topography from the Central Appalachian region is used as a case study.At this mine,unexpected roof conditions were encountered during development below previously mined panels.Stress mapping and observation of ground conditions were used to quantify the success of entry support systems in three room-and-pillar panels.Numerical model analyses were initially conducted to estimate the stresses induced by the multiple-seam mining at the locations of the affected entries.The SRM was used to quantify the stability factor of the supported roof of the entries at selected locations.The SRM-calculated stability factors were compared with observations made during the site visits,and the results demonstrate that the SRM adequately identifies the unexpected roof conditions in this complex case.It is concluded that the SRM can be used to effectively evaluate the likely success of roof supports and the stability condition of entries in coal mines.展开更多
Extraction of a protective coal seam (PVCS)-below or above a coal seam to be mined with the potential of coal andgas outburst risk-plays an important role not only in decreasing the stress field in the surrounding roc...Extraction of a protective coal seam (PVCS)-below or above a coal seam to be mined with the potential of coal andgas outburst risk-plays an important role not only in decreasing the stress field in the surrounding rock mass but alsoin increasing the gas desorption capacity and gas flow permeability in the protected coal seam (PTCS). The PVCSis mined to guarantee the safe mining of the PTCS. This study has numerically evaluated the stress redistributioneffects using FLAC3D model for a longwall face in Shanxi Province. The effects of mining depth, mining height andinter-burden rock mass properties were evaluated using the stress relief angle and stress relief coefficient. Verticalstress distribution, stress relief angle and stress relief coefficient in the PTCS were analyzed as the face advancedin the PVCS. The results showed that the stress relief achieved in different locations of the PTCS varied as the faceadvanced. Sensitivity analyses on the pertinent variables indicate that the stress relief in the PTCS is affected mostby the mining depth followed by the inter-burden lithology and the mining height. Furthermore, the elastic moduliof different layers within the inter-burden rock mass are more important than their uniaxial compressive strength(UCS) and Poisson’s ratio. These observations can guide gas drainage borehole design to minimize the accidentsof coal and gas outbursts.展开更多
In this work,CH4 isothermal adsorption measurements were carried out on 64 coal samples collected from western Guizhou Province of China,and the coalbed methane(CBM)desorption processes were quantitatively analyzed.Th...In this work,CH4 isothermal adsorption measurements were carried out on 64 coal samples collected from western Guizhou Province of China,and the coalbed methane(CBM)desorption processes were quantitatively analyzed.The results show that the Langmuir volume and the Langmuir pressure are controlled by coalification,and tend to increase as the vitrinite reflectance changes from 0.98% to 4.3%.Based on a division method of CBM desorption stages,the CBM desorption process were divided into four stages(inefficient,slow,fast and sensitive desorption stages)by three key pressure nodes(the initial,turning and sensitive pressures).The fast and sensitive desorption stages with high desorption efficiency are the key for achieving high gas production.A theoretical chart of the critical desorption pressure(P_(cd))and its relationship with different pressure nodes was established.The higher-rank coals have the higher initial,turning and sensitive pressures,with larger difference between pressure nodes.Most CBM wells only undergo partial desorption stages due to the differences in P_(cd) caused by the present-gas content.Under the same gas content conditions,the higher the coal rank,the less desorption stages that CBM needs to go through.During coalbed methane co-production from multiple coal seams within vertically superposed pressure systems,the reservoir pressure,the P_(cd),the initial working liquid level(WLL)height,and coal depth are key factors for evaluating whether coal seams can produce CBM simultaneously.It must be ensured that each production layer enters at least the fast desorption stage prior to that the WLL was lower than the depth of each layer.Only on this basis can all layers achieve the maximum gas production.展开更多
Why do some room and pillar retreat panels encounter abnormal conditions？ What factors deserve the most consideration during the planning and execution phases of mining and what can be done to mitigate those abnormal...Why do some room and pillar retreat panels encounter abnormal conditions？ What factors deserve the most consideration during the planning and execution phases of mining and what can be done to mitigate those abnormal conditions when they are encountered7 To help answer these questions, and to determine some of the relevant factors influencing the conditions of room and pillar （R ＆ P） retreat min- ing entries, four consecutive R ＆ P retreat panels were evaluated. This evaluation was intended to rein- force the influence of topographic changes, depth of cover, multiple-seam interactions, geological conditions, and mining geometry. This paper details observations were made in four consecutive R ＆ P retreat panels and the data were collected from an instrumentation site during retreat mining. The pri- mary focus was on the differences observed among the four panels and within the panels themselves. The instrumentation study was initially planned to evaluate the interactions between primary and secondary support, but produced rather interesting results relating to the loading encountered under the current mining conditions. In addition to the obse^ation and ｜ll^trumentation, numerical modeling was per- formed to evaluate the stress condi~!ons. Both the LaModel 3.0 and Rocscience Phase 2 programs were used to evaluate these four panels, The results of both models indicated a drastic reduction in the vertical stresses experienced in these panels due to the full extraction mining in overlying seams when compared to the full overburden load. Both models showed a higher level of stress associated with the outside entries of the panels. These results agree quite well with the observations and instrumentation studies performed at the mine. These efforts provided two overarching conclusions concerning R ＆ P retreat mine planning and execution. The first was that there are four areas that should not be overlooked during R ＆ P retreat mining： topographic relief, multiple^seaPa stress relief, stress concentrations near the gob edge, and geologic changes in the immediate roof. The second is that in order to successfully retreat an R ＆ P panel, a three-phased approach to the design and analysis of the panel should be conducted： the planning phase, evaluation phase, and monitoring phase.展开更多
文摘Underground coal mining in the U.S. is conducted in numerous regions where previous workings exist above and/or below an actively mined seam. Miners know that overlying or underlying fully extracted coal areas, also known as gob regions, can result in abutment stresses that affect the active mining. If there was no full extraction, and the past mining consists entirely of intact pillars, the stresses on the active seam are usually minimal. However, experience has shown that in some situations there has been sufficient yielding in overlying or underlying pillar systems to cause stress transfer to the adjoining larger pillars or barriers, which in turn, transfer significant stresses onto the workings of the active seam. In other words, the overlying or underlying pillar system behaves as a ‘‘pseudo gob." The presence of a pseudo gob is often unexpected, and the consequences can be severe. This paper presents several case histories, summarized briefly below, that illustrate pseudo gob phenomenon:(1) pillar rib degradation at a West Virginia mine at 335 m depth that contributed to a rib roll fatality,(2) pillar rib deterioration at a Western Kentucky mine at 175 m depth that required pillar size adjustment and installation of supplemental bolting,(3) roof deterioration at an eastern Kentucky mine at 400 m depth that stopped mine advance and required redirecting the section development,(4) coal burst on development at an eastern Kentucky mine at 520 m depth that had no nearby pillar recovery, and(5) coal burst on development at a West Virginia mine at the relatively shallow depth of 335 m that also had no nearby pillar recovery. The paper provides guidance so that when an operation encounters a potential pseudo gob stress interaction the hazard can be mitigated based on an understanding of the mechanism encountered.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFC0801406)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.51674252)+4 种基金the Visitor Foundation of State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control(Chongqing University)(No.2011DA105287-FW201405)the Qing Lan Projectthe Sponsorship of Jiangsu Overseas Research&Training Program for University Prominent Young&Middle-Aged Teachers and Presidentsthe Project Funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutionsthe Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China(No.106112015CDJXY240001)
文摘Multiple coal seams widely develop in the deep Chinese coal-bearing strata. Ground in situ stress and coal seam gas pressure increase continuously with the increase of the mining depth, and coal and gas outburst disasters become increasingly severe. When the coal is very deep, the gas content and pressure will elevate and thus coal seams tends to outburst-prone seams. The safety and economics of exploited firstmined coal seams are tremendously restricted. Meanwhile, the multiple seams occurrence conditions resulted in different methane pressure systems in the coal-bearing strata, which made the reservoir reconstruction of coal difficult. Given the characteristics of low saturation, low permeability, strong anisotropy and soft coal of Chinese coal seams, a single hydraulic fracturing surface well for reservoir reconstruction to pre-drain the coalbed methane(CBM) of multiple seams concurrently under the different gas pressure systems has not yet gained any breakthroughs. Based on analyses of the main features of deep CBM reservoirs in China, current gas control methods and the existing challenges in deep and multiple seams, we proposed a new technology for deep CBM reservoir reconstruction to realize simultaneous high-efficiency coal mining and gas extraction. In particular, we determined the first-mined seam according to the principles of effectiveness and economics, and used hydraulic fracturing surface well to reconstruct the first-mined seam which enlarges the selection range of the first-mined seam. During the process of mining first-mined seam, adjacent coal seams could be reconstructed under the mining effect which promoted high-efficiency pressure relief gas extraction by using spatial and comprehensive gas drainage methods(combination of underground and ground CBM extraction methods). A typical integrated reservoir reconstruction technology, ‘‘One well for triple use", was detailed introduced and successfully applied in the Luling coal mine. The application showed that the proposed technology could effectively promote coal mining safety and simultaneously high-efficiency gas extraction.
基金The research is supported by National Key R&D Program of China(No.2017YFC060300204)National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.52074293)+2 种基金Hebei Province Natural Science Foundation of China(No.E2020402041)Yue Qi Young Scholar Project,CUMTB and Yue Qi Distinguished Scholar Project(No.800015Z1138)China University of Mining&Technology,Beijing.
文摘In the Kaiping Coal field,mining of five coal seams,located within 80 m in the Kailuan Group,#5,#7,#8,#9 and#12 coal seam,is difficult due to small interburden thickness,concentrated stress distributions,high coal seam metamorphism,and complex geological conditions.By using the ZTR12 geological penetration radar(GPR)survey combined with borehole observations,the overburden caving due to mining of the five coals seams was measured.The development characteristics of full-cover rock fractures after mining were obtained from the GPR scan,which provides a measurement basis for the control of rock strata in close multiple coal seam mining.For the first time,it was found that the overburden caving pattern shows a periodic triangular caved characteristic.Furthermore,it is proposed that an upright triangular collapsed pile masonry and an inverted triangular with larger fragments piled up alternately appear in the lower gob.The research results show that the roof structure formed in the gob area can support the key overlying strata,which is beneficial to ensure the integrity and stability of the upper coal seams in multiple-seam mining of close coal seams.
文摘Gas production from multiple coal seams has become common practice in many coal basins around the world. Although gas production rates are typically enhanced, the economic viability of such practice is not well studied. In order to investigate the technical and economic feasibility of multiple coal seams production, reservoir simulation integrated with economics modelling was performed to study the effect of important reservoir properties of the secondary coal seam on production and economic performance using both vertical and horizontal wells. The results demonstrated that multiple seam gas production of using both vertical and horizontal wells have competitive advantage over single layer production under most scenarios. Gas content and permeability of the secondary coal seam are the most important reservoir properties that have impact on the economic feasibility of multiple seam gas production. The comparison of vertical well and horizontal well performance showed that horizontal well is more economically attractive for both single well and gas field. Moreover, wellhead price is the most sensitive to the economic performance, followed by operating costs and government subsidy. Although the results of reservoir simulation combined with economic analysis are subject to assumptions, multiple seam gas production is more likely to maintain profitability compared with single layer production.
文摘In this paper,the advantage of using numerical models with the strength reduction method(SRM) to evaluate entry stability in complex multiple-seam conditions is demonstrated.A coal mine under variable topography from the Central Appalachian region is used as a case study.At this mine,unexpected roof conditions were encountered during development below previously mined panels.Stress mapping and observation of ground conditions were used to quantify the success of entry support systems in three room-and-pillar panels.Numerical model analyses were initially conducted to estimate the stresses induced by the multiple-seam mining at the locations of the affected entries.The SRM was used to quantify the stability factor of the supported roof of the entries at selected locations.The SRM-calculated stability factors were compared with observations made during the site visits,and the results demonstrate that the SRM adequately identifies the unexpected roof conditions in this complex case.It is concluded that the SRM can be used to effectively evaluate the likely success of roof supports and the stability condition of entries in coal mines.
基金This paper was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions(No.20KJB440002)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Project Nos.51804129,51808246 and 51904112)+5 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2020M671301)the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(Nos.2019K139 and 2019Z107)the Huai’an Science and Technology Plan project(No.HAB201836)the Industry Education Research Cooperation Projects in Jiangsu Province(No.BY2020007)Undergraduate Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program(No.202011049111XJ)the Foundation of Huaiyin Institute of Technology(No.Z301B20530).
文摘Extraction of a protective coal seam (PVCS)-below or above a coal seam to be mined with the potential of coal andgas outburst risk-plays an important role not only in decreasing the stress field in the surrounding rock mass but alsoin increasing the gas desorption capacity and gas flow permeability in the protected coal seam (PTCS). The PVCSis mined to guarantee the safe mining of the PTCS. This study has numerically evaluated the stress redistributioneffects using FLAC3D model for a longwall face in Shanxi Province. The effects of mining depth, mining height andinter-burden rock mass properties were evaluated using the stress relief angle and stress relief coefficient. Verticalstress distribution, stress relief angle and stress relief coefficient in the PTCS were analyzed as the face advancedin the PVCS. The results showed that the stress relief achieved in different locations of the PTCS varied as the faceadvanced. Sensitivity analyses on the pertinent variables indicate that the stress relief in the PTCS is affected mostby the mining depth followed by the inter-burden lithology and the mining height. Furthermore, the elastic moduliof different layers within the inter-burden rock mass are more important than their uniaxial compressive strength(UCS) and Poisson’s ratio. These observations can guide gas drainage borehole design to minimize the accidentsof coal and gas outbursts.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 42130802, 41772132), the Major Projects of Ningxia Key Research and Development Plan (No. 2020BFG2003)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2652019095)the Key Technologies R&D Programme of PetroChina Company Limited (No. 2021DJ2306).
文摘In this work,CH4 isothermal adsorption measurements were carried out on 64 coal samples collected from western Guizhou Province of China,and the coalbed methane(CBM)desorption processes were quantitatively analyzed.The results show that the Langmuir volume and the Langmuir pressure are controlled by coalification,and tend to increase as the vitrinite reflectance changes from 0.98% to 4.3%.Based on a division method of CBM desorption stages,the CBM desorption process were divided into four stages(inefficient,slow,fast and sensitive desorption stages)by three key pressure nodes(the initial,turning and sensitive pressures).The fast and sensitive desorption stages with high desorption efficiency are the key for achieving high gas production.A theoretical chart of the critical desorption pressure(P_(cd))and its relationship with different pressure nodes was established.The higher-rank coals have the higher initial,turning and sensitive pressures,with larger difference between pressure nodes.Most CBM wells only undergo partial desorption stages due to the differences in P_(cd) caused by the present-gas content.Under the same gas content conditions,the higher the coal rank,the less desorption stages that CBM needs to go through.During coalbed methane co-production from multiple coal seams within vertically superposed pressure systems,the reservoir pressure,the P_(cd),the initial working liquid level(WLL)height,and coal depth are key factors for evaluating whether coal seams can produce CBM simultaneously.It must be ensured that each production layer enters at least the fast desorption stage prior to that the WLL was lower than the depth of each layer.Only on this basis can all layers achieve the maximum gas production.
文摘Why do some room and pillar retreat panels encounter abnormal conditions？ What factors deserve the most consideration during the planning and execution phases of mining and what can be done to mitigate those abnormal conditions when they are encountered7 To help answer these questions, and to determine some of the relevant factors influencing the conditions of room and pillar （R ＆ P） retreat min- ing entries, four consecutive R ＆ P retreat panels were evaluated. This evaluation was intended to rein- force the influence of topographic changes, depth of cover, multiple-seam interactions, geological conditions, and mining geometry. This paper details observations were made in four consecutive R ＆ P retreat panels and the data were collected from an instrumentation site during retreat mining. The pri- mary focus was on the differences observed among the four panels and within the panels themselves. The instrumentation study was initially planned to evaluate the interactions between primary and secondary support, but produced rather interesting results relating to the loading encountered under the current mining conditions. In addition to the obse^ation and ｜ll^trumentation, numerical modeling was per- formed to evaluate the stress condi~!ons. Both the LaModel 3.0 and Rocscience Phase 2 programs were used to evaluate these four panels, The results of both models indicated a drastic reduction in the vertical stresses experienced in these panels due to the full extraction mining in overlying seams when compared to the full overburden load. Both models showed a higher level of stress associated with the outside entries of the panels. These results agree quite well with the observations and instrumentation studies performed at the mine. These efforts provided two overarching conclusions concerning R ＆ P retreat mine planning and execution. The first was that there are four areas that should not be overlooked during R ＆ P retreat mining： topographic relief, multiple^seaPa stress relief, stress concentrations near the gob edge, and geologic changes in the immediate roof. The second is that in order to successfully retreat an R ＆ P panel, a three-phased approach to the design and analysis of the panel should be conducted： the planning phase, evaluation phase, and monitoring phase.
