Method for designing the optimal sealing depth in methane drainage boreholes to realize efficient drainage

The purpose of underground methane drainage technology is to prevent methane disasters and enable the efficient use of coal mine methane(CMM),and the sealing depth is a key factor that affects the performance of underground methane drainage.In this work,the layouts of in-seam and crossing boreholes are considered to analyze the stress distribution and failure characteristics of roadway surrounding rock through a numerical simulation and field stress investigation to determine a reasonable sealing depth.The results show that the depths of the plastic and elastic zones in two experimental coal mines are 16 and 20 m respectively.Borehole sealing minimizes the air leakage through the fractures around the roadway when the sealing material covers the failure and plastic zones,and the field test results for CMM drainage at different sealing depths indicate that the CMM drainage efficiency increases with increasing sealing depth but does not change once the sealing depth exceeds the plastic zone.Moreover,sealing in the high-permeability roadway surrounding rock does not have a strong influence on the borehole sealing performance.Considering these findings,a new CMM drainage system for key sealing in the low-permeability zone was developed that is effective for improving the CMM drainage efficiency and prolonging the high-concentration CMM drainage period.The proposed approach offers a valuable quantitative analysis method for selecting the optimum sealing parameters for underground methane drainage,thereby improving considerably the drainage and utilization rates of CMM.

Application of gas wettability alteration to improve methane drainage performance:A case study

Hydraulic fracturing technique is widely used for methane drainage and has achieved good effects in numerous coal mines,but negative effects may occur as the fracturing fluids are absorbed into the coal seam.Gas wettability alteration(GWA)technology can be used as it can enhance the gas and water mobility during dewatering process as a result of capillary pressure change.However,there have been few reported field tests in coal mines using GWA technology.This paper describes a pilot-scale field test in Xinjing coal mine,Yangquan,China.The fluorocarbon surfactants perfluorooctyl methacrylate monomer-containing polymethacrylate(PMP)was used to alter the wettability of coal seam to strong gas-wetness during the hydraulic fracturing process.The study focuses on the comparison of two boreholes(Boreholes#9 and#10)and one other borehole(Borehole#8)with and without using GWA approach.A well-defined monitoring program was established by measuring the dewatering volume of the fracturing fluid and the drainage volume of methane as well as the concentration.The field test results showed that the average methane drainage rates of Boreholes#9(39.28 m^(3)/d)and#10(51.04 m^(3)/d)with GWA treatment exceeded that of Borehole#8(21.09 m^(3)/d)without GWA treatment,with an increase of 86.3%and 142.1%,respectively.The average methane concentrations of Boreholes#9(4.05%)and#10(6.18%)were 64.6%and 151.2%higher than that of Borehole#8(2.46%),respectively.On the other hand,the dewatering ratio of Boreholes#9(4.36%)and#10(3.11%)was almost 19 times and 13 times greater than that of Borehole#8(0.22%).These field test results were in agreement with the experimental data.The significant increase in both methane concentration and dewatering ratio demonstrated that GWA technology could be applied for enhanced methane drainage in coal mines.Important lessons learned at Xinjing coal mine might be applied to other coal mines in China and elsewhere.

A Numerical Investigation of the Stress Relief Zones Around a Longwall Face in the Lower Seam for Gas Drainage Considerations

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.