Detection of man-made reservoirs and assessment of filtration properties of barrier pillars in abandoned mines

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2023-S2-6-10

Читать на русскоя языкеO.V. Tailakov, E.A. Saltymakov, D.N. Zastrelov, M.P. Makeev, E.A. Utkaev
Federal Research Center for Coal and Coal Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kemerovo, Russian Federation
Russian Mining Industry №S2 / 2023 р. 6-10

Abstract: An integrated approach to identification of man-made reservoirs within mining allotments of abandoned coal mines is proposed and tested, as well as determination of their methane content, which is based on the combined application of electrical exploration methods, measurement of ground-level concentrations of atmospheric gases and studies of mine methane isotopy. The boundaries of a man-made gas reservoir formed by the mined-out space of two abandoned coal mines were identified. A significant difference has been demonstrated between the content of light carbon isotopes of coal mine methane in the manmade reservoir and underlying coal seams. The paper discusses the impact of atmospheric pressure changes on the increase of ground-level methane concentrations. Drilling of gas-drainage boreholes in the decompression zones of the coal mass with subsequent connection to vacuum pumping stations providing methane collector degassing is recommended to limit methane release from the man-made collector into buildings and facilities located within the mining allotment of the abandoned mines.

Keywords: mined-out space, coal seam, methane, man-made reservoir, electrotomography, geoelectric cross-section, isotopy, barometric pressure

Acknowledgments: The work was performed within the framework of the state assignment of the Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal Chemistry of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Project FWEZ-2021-0001 'Creation of multipurpose systems for monitoring and forecasting of gas-dynamic phenomena, control of the stress state, development of methods for their prevention and efficiency assessment during underground development of coal deposits' (Reg. No.АААА-А21-121012290020-4).

For citation: Tailakov O.V., Saltymakov E.A., Zastrelov D.N., Makeev M.P., Utkaev E.A. Detection of man-made reservoirs and assessment of filtration properties of barrier pillars in abandoned mines. Russian Mining Industry. 2023;(S2):6–10. https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2023-S2-6-10

Article info

Received: 14.07.2023

Revised: 23.08.2023

Accepted: 26.08.2023

Information about the authors

Oleg V. Tailakov – Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chief Re-searcher, Institute of Coal of the Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal Chemistry of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kemerovo, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Evgeny A. Saltymakov – Lead Engineer, Institute of Coal of the Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal Chemistry of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kemerovo, Russian Federation

Denis N. Zastrelov – Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Institute of Coal of the Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal Chemistry of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kemerovo, Russian Federation

Maxim P. Makeev – Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Institute of Coal of the Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal Chemistry of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kemerovo, Russian Federation

Evgeny A. Utkaev – Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Institute of Coal of the Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal Chemistry of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kemerovo, Russian Federation

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interests. All the authors have read and approved the final version of this paper.

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