A review of methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas wells:A case study in Lubbock,Texas,within the Permian Basin

In the pursuit of global net zero carbon emissions and climate change mitigation,ongoing research into sustainable energy sources and emission control is paramount.This review examines methane leakage from abandoned oil and gas(AOG)wells,focusing particularly on Lubbock,a geographic area situated within the larger region known as the Permian Basin in West Texas,United States.The objective is to assess the extent and environmental implications of methane leakage from these wells.The analysis integrates pertinent literature,governmental and industry data,and prior Lubbock reports.Factors affecting methane leakage,including well integrity,geological characteristics,and human activities,are explored.Our research estimates 1781 drilled wells in Lubbock,forming a foundation for targeted assessments and monitoring due to historical drilling trends.The hierarchy of well statuses in Lubbock highlights the prevalence of“active oil wells,”trailed by“plugged and abandoned oil wells”and“inactive oil wells.”Methane leakage potential aligns with these well types,underscoring the importance of strategic monitoring and mitigation.The analysis notes a zenith in“drilled and completed”wells during 1980-1990.While our study's case analysis and literature review reiterate the critical significance of assessing and mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells,it's important to clarify that the research does not directly provide methane leakage data.Instead,it contextualizes the issue's magnitude and emphasizes the well type and status analysis's role in targeted mitigation efforts.In summary,our research deepens our understanding of methane leakage,aiding informed decision-making and policy formulation for environmental preservation.By clarifying well type implications and historical drilling patterns,we aim to contribute to effective strategies in mitigating methane emissions from AOG wells.

Research on pumped storage and complementary energy development models for abandoned mines in China

Within the framework of achieving carbon neutrality,various industries are confronted with fresh challenges.The ongoing process of downsizing coal industry operations has evolved into a new phase,with the burgeoning proliferation of abandoned mines posing a persistent issue.Addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by these abandoned mines,this paper advocates for a scientific approach centered on the advancement of pumped storage energy alongside gas-oil complementary energy.Leveraging abandoned mine tunnels to establish pumped storage power stations holds significant ecological and economic importance for repurposing these sites.This initiative not only serves as an effective means to restore the ecological balance in mining regions but also provides an environmentally friendly approach to repurposing abandoned mine tunnels,offering a blueprint for economically viable pumped storage power stations.This article delineates five crucial scientific considerations and outlines seven primary models for the utilization of abandoned mine sites,delineating a novel,comprehensive pathway for energy and power development that emphasizes multi-energy complementarity and synergistic optimization within abandoned mines.

Evaluation of development potential of pumped hydroelectric storage and geothermal utilization system in abandoned coal mine

Every year in China,a significant number of mines are closed or abandoned.The pumped hydroelectric storage(PHS)and geothermal utilization are vital means to efficiently repurpose resources in abandoned mine.In this work,the development potentials of the PHS and geothermal utilization systems were evaluated.Considering the geological conditions and meteorological data available of Jiahe abandoned mine,a simple evaluation model for PHS and geothermal utilization was established.The average efficiency of the PHS system exceeds 70%and the regulatable energy of a unit volume is over 1.53 kW·h/m^(3).The PHS system achieves optimal performance when the wind/solar power ratio reaches 0.6 and 0.3 in daily and year scale,respectively.In the geothermal utilization system,the outlet temperature and heat production are significantly affected by the injection flow rate.The heat production performance is more stable at lower rate flow,and the proportion of heat production is higher in the initial stage at greater flow rate.As the operating time increases,the proportion of heat production gradually decreases.The cyclic heat storage status has obvious advantages in heat generation and cooling.Furthermore,the energy-saving and emission reduction benefits of PHS and geothermal utilization systems were calculated.

Prospects for the transformation and development of carbon storage in abandoned mines of coal enterprises from the perspective ofcarbon neutrality

Under the carbon neutrality goal,coal enterprises must seek breakthroughs from abandoned mines,develop new resources in the new era,turn problems into countermeasures,and participate in the carbon emissions market,for contributing to the accomplishment of the national strategic goal of carbon neutrality.To this end,we investigated the relevant national policies and regulations to clarify the boundaries disclosed by the carbon information of enterprises,understood the development direction of carbon storage in abandoned mines,and clarified the transformation and development of carbon storage in aban-doned mines.We made a few suggestions:(1)China should learn from its past experience and other countries to develop the energy industry with Chinese characteristics and reform the economic system.(2)Coal enterprises must actively respond to the national carbon information disclosure policy,clarify their own responsibilities and carbon emission boundaries.(3)It is necessary to proactively obtain advanced knowledge and plan carbon storage pathways for abandoned mines.(4)Devel-opment problems of coal enterprises should be deduced using cases.The'dual carbon'goals should be achieved steadily step-by-step.(5)Three measures,i.e.improving the existing resource structure,coordinating the information of abandoned mines,and promoting the cultivation of scientific and technological talents.

Multiple grain-size fraction analysis of heavy minerals and the provenance identification of sediments from the abandoned Huanghe River,eastern China

The quantitative analysis of sediment sources in a sink is an important scientific topic and challenge in provenance research.The characteristics of heavy minerals,combined with the geochemical constituents of detrital grains,provide a reliable provenance-tracing approach.We developed a mineral identification method to analyze the multiple grain-size fraction of sediments,from which the elemental geochemistry of hornblende was used to compare the characteristics of sediments from the Huaihe River and Huanghe(Yellow)River in eastern China.Elements that were statistically identified as being able to discriminate sediment provenance were employed to perform a quantitative analysis of the sources of sediments of the abandoned Huanghe River.Results reveal that the Huaihe River is characterized by a high amphibole content of>60%and that the Huanghe and abandoned Huanghe rivers have greater abundances of limonite and carbonate minerals compared with those of the Huaihe River.The contents of trace elements and rare earth elements in hornblende show that the sediments of the abandoned Huanghe River are similar to those of the Huanghe River but different from those of the Huaihe River.Furthermore,chemical mass balance was used to calculate the relative contributions of different provenances of sediment from the abandoned Huanghe River,and nine trace elements of hornblende were identified as discriminators of provenance.Approximately 2%of the hornblende in the abandoned Huanghe River is derived from the Huaihe River and 98%from the Huanghe River.Considering the proportion of hornblende in the total sediment,it is inferred that the contribution of Huaihe River sediment to the abandoned Huanghe River is approximately 0.5%.This study shows that mineral analysis using multiple grain-size fractions(within the wide range of 1Φto 6Φ)with assessment in elemental geochemistry of hornblende can characterize the provenance of fluvial material in coastal zones.

Abandoned land identification in karst mountain area based on time series SAR characteristics at geo-parcels scale

Mapping abandoned land is very important for accurate agricultural management.However,in karst mountainous areas,continuous high-resolution optical images are difficult to obtain in rainy weather,and the land is fragmented,which poses a great challenge for remote sensing monitoring of agriculture activities.In this study,a new method for identifying abandoned land is proposed:firstly,a few Google Earth images are used to transform arable land into accurate vectorized geo-parcels;secondly,a time-series data set was constructed using Sentinel-1A Alpha parameters for 2020 on each farmland geoparcel;thirdly,the semi-variation function(SVF)was used to analyze the spatial-temporal characteristics,then identify abandoned land.The results show:(1)On the basis of accurate spatial information and boundary of farmland land,the SAR time-series dataset reflects the structure and time-series response.abandoned land with an accuracy of 80.25%.The problem of remote sensing monitoring in rainy regions and complex surface areas is well-resolved.(2)The spatial heterogeneity of abandoned land is more obvious than that of cultivated land within geoparcels.The step size for significant changes in the SVF of abandoned land is shorter than that of cultivated land.(3)The SVF time sequence curve presented a strong peak feature when farmland was abandoned.This reveals that the internal spatial structure of abandoned land is more disordered and complex.It showed that time-series variations of spatial structure within cultivated land have broader applications in remote sensing monitoring of agriculture in complex imaging environments.

Studies of Soil Physical Property on Different Abandoned Lands in the Minqin Oasis,Downstream of the Shiyang River

The vast area of farmland was abandoned at downstream of the Shiyang River because of decreased water recourse. To ensure the ecological safety of Minqin Oasis and to provide management basis for the abandoned land, soil physical properties were observed and studied. The authors analyzed land with abandonment time of 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 8 years, 15 years, 24 years and 31 years. Samples were took at the 0-40 cm layer of soil to measure the bulk density, porosity and grain composition of soil in the different abandoned lands. Results showed that the tendency of clay content was decreasing, conversely, the fine sand increased at the layer of 0-10 cm of different abandoned lands.The changes of grain content reached a peak at the fourth year after the land was abandoned, then varied slightly. The variation of grain content of abandoned land was obvious with the extension of the abandonment year. The soil bulk density decreased and porosity increased with the extension of the abandonment year. The difference of porosity and soil bulk density at the range of 0-40 cm of different abandoned land decreased after the land abandoned for 3 years. The quality of soil was decreased, while the soil permeability was improved. The soil physical properties changed obviously in 3 to 4 years after abandonment, so it is the key time for land management.

Studies of Soil Physical Properties and Community Characteristics of Different Abandoned Lands in the Minqin Oasis,Downstream of the Shiyang River

[Objective] The aim was to explore physical properties and community characteristics of abandoned lands in different years in Minqin Oasis, downstream of the Shiyang River, [Method] The evolution of environment and plant community characteristics in different abandoned lands were analyzed after abandonment for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 24 and 31 years, and the plant community characteristics, water content, bulk density, porosity and mechanical composition of soil in the different a- bandoned lands were also researched in the Minqin Oasis, downstream of the Shiyang River. [Result] Plant of 32 species spread over 14 family live through fifty years appeared in abandoned lands in the study area. Shrubs was 6 species, herbs was 26 species among them, which were 18.75%, 81.25% respectively. The goose- foot family （6 species）, the composite family（4 species）,the grass family（4 species）, caltrop family（3 species） were 53.13% among them. Within the range of 0-40 cm of different abandoned Land, the soil moisture content showed a trend of first increase and then decrease with the increase of soil depth changes in soil bulk density and porosity of less obvious. In the range of 0-40 cm soil depth, the largest proportion of fine sand, followed by silt and clay and the smallest proportion of coarse sand in every plot, but the proportion of the each silt size varies little with the years aban- doned. [Conclusion] The research provides references for vegetation reconstruction and eco-environment construction in abandoned lands in downstream of Shiyang River.

Effect of mechanical vibration process parameters on the cement plugs properties for abandoned wells

A high-quality plug of the abandoned wellbore is considered an essential technical aspect of the oil and gas well abandonment technology system. This paper presents a method of active mechanical excitation to enhance the quality of wellbore plug barriers. An indoor simulation platform is developed, and the effects of different combinations of vibration frequency, amplitude and duration on the properties of the wellbore plug cement material are investigated. It is observed that the optimal combination of excitation parameters occurs at a vibration frequency of 15 Hz, a vibration time of 6 min, and a vibration amplitude of 3 mm. Compared with the condition without the vibration process, the cementing strength, compressive strength, and tensile strength of wellbore cement plug with the optimal mechanical vibration process could increase by 51%, 38% and 20%, respectively, while the porosity decreases by 5%. As determined by scanning electron microscopy of the set cement's microstructure, mechanical vibration effectively eliminates internal porosity and improves the set cement's density. The optimal excitation parameters obtained from the test can guide the design of the vibration plugging tool. The designed vibration plugging tool is simulated in the near field. The cement plug cementation quality tester tests the vibrating and non-vibrating samples, and the cementation ratio is calculated. The test results show that the average cementation ratio of vibrating samples is 0.89375, and that of non-vibrating samples is 0.70625, and the cementation quality is improved by 27%. It is concluded that it not only provides essential data for the design of mechanical vibration plug apparatus, on-site vibration plugs, and the development of operational specifications for vibration plugs, but also provides solid engineering guidance.

Characteristics and driving factors of abandoned cultivated land in the hilly regions of southern China:A case study in Longnan,Jiangxi Province

The abandonment of cultivated land in southern China was gradually obvious.This research aims to provide a reference for solving the abandonment of cultivated land in hilly regions and promote rural development in China.We examined Longnan county located in the hilly regions of southern China as an example,where abandoned cultivated land is very common.We analyzed its land use data with a field survey to identify the abandoned cultivated land and geospatial characteristics.From the two aspects of social and natural factors,we analyzed the factors driving cultivated land abandonment with the help of Geodetector.The results showed that in 2019,the total area of the abandoned cultivated land in Longnan county was 4,962.35 hm^(2),covering 39.51% of this region.Among the topographic factors,the abandonment rate is positively correlated with elevation and slope gradient,but not with slope direction.Among the land parcel conditions,the abandonment rate is positively correlated with the access to road network and cultivation distance from settlement.At the county level,the abandonment of cultivated land in study area was affected by multiple factors,among which,the direct factor was the reduction in the labor force,such as the decrease of farming laborers and the increase of female population,which made farming unsustainable.Changes in production factors also promoted transformations in farmers’motivation to engage in production,such as the decrease of grain crops and the increase of cash crops,which was the indirect factor affecting cultivated land abandonment.The development of the rural nonagricultural industry affected farmers’enthusiasm,such as the decrease of farming households,which was the fundamental factor leading to cultivated land abandonment in this area.

Plant Traits and Soil Chemical Variables During a Secondary Vegetation Succession in Abandoned Fields on the Loess Plateau

Species dynamics in terms of both plant biological traits, ecological strategies and species richness as well as soil chemical variables during a secondary succession in abandoned fields on the Loess Plateau along a temporal sere from 3 a to 149 a were studied. The results indicated that (I) Soil total C and N increased while soil pH, total K and Na decreased with years since abandonment. No noticeable trend was found in the case of soil P along the successional sere. On the other hand, total CaO of the surface layer (0 - 10 cm) decreased, but that of the two deeper layer, (20 - 30 cm, 40 - 50 cm) increased with years since abandonment. Soil C, N, K and P decreased, while Na, CaO and soil pH increased with increasing soil depth. (2) Species richness peaked at both mid-stage of the successional sere and the intermediate portion of soil chemical variables gradient. (3) An ideal dominant species in the early successional stage were annuals with stable seed pool, CR-life strategy, S-regeneration strategy, and strong competitive ability on relatively poor soil, while perennials capable of intensive lateral spread and colonal ability, requiring high nutrient supply, and having Clife strategy would be the dominant species in the subsequent stages. Plant traits, such as perennial-life history, C-, CR-, SC-, SR-, S- and R-life strategies, W-, S-, Bs- VBs- and V-regeneration strategies, were over- represented throughout the whole sere among the other species. (4) Some traits, such as C-, SC-life strategies, ability of clonality, perennial-life history, well-developed lateral spread ability, V- and VBs-regeneration strategies, seed animal. dispersal mode, flowering time of autumn, fruit types of legumen and nut, were more or less correlated with increased soil total C, N and K, while S-, SR-, R-, CR-life strategies, annual-, biannual-life history, non-clonal ability, S-regeneration strategy, poor lateral spread ability, and fruit types of utricle, capsule were associated with increased soil total Na, CaO and pH. The results suggested that steppes should be the dominant native vegetation coinciding with the large-scaled eco-climatic conditions on the Loess Plateau.

Exploitation and Inheritance of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Landscape Reconstruction of Abandoned Quarry Pit—A Case Study of Landscape Reconstruction of Quarry Pit in Xiaosi’ao Scenic Area of Xinchang County

Through the study on landscape reconstruction of abandoned quarry pits in mountainous area of Jiangzhe District, it was pointed out that it was of not only practical significance but also ecological significance of sustainable development to some extent, to scientifically and rationally rebuild and exploit abandoned quarry pits and to create new landscape, so that their landscape value and environmental benefit would entirely improve and that culture would be inherited and developed by making use of overt cultural fragments.

Heavy metal accumulation by panicled goldenrain tree(Koelreuteria paniculata) and common elaeocarpus(Elaeocarpus decipens) in abandoned mine soils in southern China

Phytoremediation can be used as a sustainable technology for mine spoil remediation to remove heavy metals. This study investigated the concentration of 7 heavy metal contamination in soil and plant samples at an abandoned mine site. We found that, after vegetation remediation at the abandoned mine site, the reduction rates for 7 heavy metals were in the range of 4.2%-86%, where reduction rates over 50% were achieved for four heavy metals （Zn, Mn, Cd, Ni）. Transfer coefficients of the panicled goldenrain tree （Koelreuteria paniculata Laxm） and the common elaeocarpus （Elaeocarpus decipens） for Zn, Mn, Ni, and Co were more than 1. Enrichment coefficients of both trees for Mn were higher than 1. Our results suggest that the panicled goldenrain tree and the common elaeocarpus tree may act as accumulators in remediation. Moreover, the woody vegetation remediation in abandoned mining areas play an important role in improving scenery besides removing heavy metal from contaminated soil.

Spatial structure optimization of mountainous abandoned mine land reuse based on system dynamics model and CLUE-S model

The mountainous abandoned mine land is often distributed in the fomi of fragmented patches. Therefore, it can greatly promote the reuse value of abandoned mine land and relieve the pressure of land demand to realize the rational reuse of abandoned mine land based on the future land use structure and spatial layout of mountainous area. In this paper, optimization of the spatial structure of mountainous abandoned mine land reuse is realized through the system dynamics model and CLUE-S model. Mentougou district, Beijing, China is selected as the research area. System dynamics model with feedback functions is constructed to simulate land use structure from 2011 to 2025, which is taken as the quanfiiative constraint on spatial structure optimization. CLUE-S model with neighborhood analysis function is applied to simulate future land use spatial structure. The simulation result layer is superimposed with the abandoned mine land distribution layer and the optimized spatial structure of abandoned mine land reuse then is determined, checked by reuse suitability evaluation. The result shows that abandoned mine land can be fully optimized as other land use types according to demand, and the reuse directions are water conservancy facilities land, urban land, rural residential land, tourism land, garden land, woodland and grassland. The trend of abandoned mine land reuse tend to be consistent with land use types of neighboring patches. This study can provide theoretical reference for the practices of mountainous abandoned mine land reuse.

Factors Affecting Distribution of Vegetation Types on Abandoned Cropland in the Hilly-Gullied Loess Plateau Region of China

A study was conducted in the forest-steppe region of the Loess Plateau to provide insight into the factors affecting the process of vegetation establishment,and to provide recommendations for the selection of indigenous species in order to speed up the succession process and to allow the establishment of vegetation more resistant to soil erosion.Four distinctive vegetation types were identified,and their distribution was affected not only by the time since abandonment but also by other environmental factors,mainly soil water and total P in the upper soil layers.One of the vegetation types,dominated by Artemisia scoparia,formed the early successional stage after abandonment while the other three types formed later successional stages with their distribution determined by the soil water content and total P.It can be concluded that the selection of appropriate species for introduction to accelerate succession should be determined by the local conditions and especially the total P concentration and soil water content.

Response of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and phosphorus solubilizing bacteria to remediation abandoned solid waste of coal mine

Coal is the vital resource of energy in China,but abandoned coal ash and gangue lead to the degradation of vegetation cover and reduce soil quality.Both arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) play a key role in biogeochemical cycle such as soil organic matter decomposition,nutrition release,and energy flow.To improve and reclamation the soil quality and ecological efficiency of the coal mining waste,we investigated the effects of an AMF strain (Glomus mosseae) and a PSB strain (Pantoesstewarti) on phytate mineralization and subsequent transfer to the host plant (Medicago sativa L.) using a two-compartment microcosm with a central 30 mm nylon mesh barrier.The results showed that significantly higher available P (AP),above ground biomass (AGB) and underground biomass (UGB) were in combined inoculation of AMF-PSB than other treatments in root and hyphae compartment.The microbial inoculum of the AMF or PSB had a significant influence on soil acid phosphatase activities (ACP).AMF-PSB enhanced phytate mineralization,improved plant biomass.AP and ACP positively influenced the AGB and UGB.AMF-PSB could be used as bioinoculant to enhance sustainable production of the plant in abandoned solid waste of coal mine.

Abutment pressure distribution for longwall face mining through abandoned roadways

Abutment pressure distribution is different when a longwall panel is passing through the abandoned gate roads in a damaged coal seam. According to the geological condition of panel E13103 in Cuijiazhai Coal Mine in China, theoretical analysis and finite element numerical simulation were used to determine the front pressure distribution characteristics when the longwall face is 70, 50, 30, 20, 10, and 5 m from the abandoned roadways. The research results show that the influence range of abutment pressure is 40 to 45 m outby the face, and the peak value of front abutment pressure is related to the distance between the face and abandoned roadways. When the distance between the longwall face and abandoned roadways is reduced from 50 to 10 m, the front abutment pressure peak value kept increasing. When the distance is 10 m, it has reached the maximum. The peak value is located in 5 to 6 m outby the faceline. When the distance between the longwall face and abandoned roadways is reduced from 10 to 5 m, the front abutment pressure sharply decreases, the intact coal yields and is even in plastic state. The peak value transfers to the other side of the abandoned roadways. The research results provide a theoretical basis for determining the advance support distance of two roadways in the panel and the reinforcement for face stability when the longwall face is passing through the abandoned roadways.

Soil Heavy Metal Pollution and Health Risk Assessment of Abandoned Land in Coal Mining Areas in Xingren County

Total contents of heavy metals （ Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg, As, Cu, Zn, and Ni） in 68 soil samples were determined to evaluate the contamination level of soil from five coal mine areas in Xingren County, Guizhou province. The pollution levels of heavy metals were characterized by anthro- pogenic influence multiple, and the pollution of heavy metal in soil was evaluated using geo-accumulation index. Based on the health risk models recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency （ US EPA）, the health risks of heavy metals in the soils were assessed. The results showed that the abandoned land in the five coal mining areas were contaminated by heavy metals, and the order of pollution levels of eight heavy metals was As 〉 Pb 〉 Cu 〉 Hg 〉 Ni 〉 Cr 〉 Cd 〉 Zn. The soils suffered moderate-heavy pollution from As and Pb, and the contents of As and Pb in the soils were 13.16 and 4.76 times higher than the background values of Guizhou Province, followed by Cu, Hg and Ni , while soil pollution from Cr, Cd and Zn was mild. The order of non-caminogenic risks of the heavy metals in the soils was As 〉 Pb 〉 Cr 〉 Ni 〉 Cu 〉 Hg 〉 Cd 〉 Zn, and the non-carcinogenic dsk value of As was higher than that its threshold value 1, which indicated that As had a high potential health risk to adults and children. The order of carcinogen risks of the four heavy metals was As 〉 Cd 〉 Cr 〉 Ni, and the carcinogenic risk value of As was higher than its threshold value, indicating that As had a high carcinogenic risk to adults and children. The carcinogenic risk values of other three heavy metals （ Cd, Cr and Ni） were lower than the threshold value, so they had no carcinogenic risk to human health. Moreover, children were more sensitively affect- ed by heavy metals from the abandoned land. Therefore, the health of children in such areas should be paid more attention to. The HI value of the eight heavy metals to children was seven times higher than that to adults. The contribution rate of HQAs to HI was about 88%, and the contribution rate of CRA, to TCR was about 98%, so As was the most crucial factor influencing non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic dsk in the abandoned soils.

Research on mechanism of groundwater pollution from mine water in abandoned mines

In order to understand the mechanism and regularity of the groundwater contamination from mine water of abandoned mines, experiments were conducted on an abandoned coal mine in Fuxin, a representative city with lots of mine water in northeast China. The groundwater pollution from different contaminants of coal-mining voids （total hardness, SO4^2-, CI^- and total Fe） and pollution factors transportation situation in the coal rock were simulated by soil column experiment under the conditions of mine water leaching and main water leaching （similar to rainwater leaching）, and the water-rock interaction mechanism was discussed during mine water infiltration through saturated coal rock by application of principle of mass conservation, based on physical properties of coal rock, as well as monitored chemical composition. The results show that, compared with the clear water leaching process, trends of change in pollutant concentrations presented different characteristics in the mine water leaching process. Groundwater is contaminated by the water rock interactions such as migration ＆ accumulation, adsorption ＆ transformation, dissolution ＆ desorption and ion exchange during the mine water permeation. The experiments also suggest that at first dissolution rate of some kinds of dissoluble salts is high, but it decreases with leaching time, even to zero during both the mine water leaching and main water leaching.

Remediation and monitoring of abandoned mines

paper describes a recent study on using fly ash for backfilling abandoned room and pillar mines.Detailed investigations on fly ash properties such as the strength and stiffness of settled fly ash, flowability of fly ash grout, as well as chemistry and environmental aspects of fly ash backfill have been undertaken in the laboratory. Numerical modelling was also conducted to quantify the effects of fly ash backfill on the stability of underground pillars. The laboratory tests showed that with a solid concentration of approximate 50%, fly ash grout has an excellent flowability and very low viscosity. It is capable of penetrating and filling almost any voids underground if designed properly and settling as a reasonably stiff solid to provide support to the pillars. Several different types of strength tests proved that a consolidated fly ash should exhibit a friction angle above 42°. 3D numerical modelling on interaction between fly ash backfill and underground pillars has shown that fly ash backfill to 90% roadway height can raise the factor of safety(Fo S) of a marginally stable area to above 1.6, which is the number often used in rock engineering design for long term stability. Chemistry and leachate analysis of representative fly ash samples from a local power station showed that the elemental concentrations in the fly ash solid sample are lower than the allowed contaminant threshold and specific contaminant concentration levels. Geotechnical monitoring in the high risk areas of an abandoned mine has been carried out as part of the risk management and control for potential subsidence. The monitoring has been very helpful in understanding the ground behaviour around the abandoned mine which can provide timely information to the parties concerned in order to make correct decisions to control the subsidence risk.