Safety of high-performance breakage faces in methane-producing mines

V.N. Zakharov, V.S. Zaburdyaev , E.V. Fedorov, A.V. Shlyapin
Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
Russian Mining Industry №6 / 2023 р. 64-70

Abstract: The experience of degassing coal seams using underground boreholes is summarized, scientifically based schemes and parameters of degassing coal seams and the mined out space with directional boreholes in extended excavation areas of shallow coal mines are proposed. The initial gas-dynamic parameters of the excavation area were determined according to the permissible methane content of the breakage face by the gas factor, the methane content of the coal seam in the zone of its excavation by the combine. The lower limit of the methane-bearing capacity of the mined seam, at which preliminary degassing of the coal mass is necessary, is scientifically justified. The dependences of the natural methane content of coal seams on the depth of their occurrence in the conditions of Kuzbass and Vorkuta coal deposits, the effect of natural degassing of the formation by a breakage face, the determining role of degassing by drilling long directional boreholes along the mined and converged coal seams at the excavation areas of high-performance mines, the use of the provisions of the industrial regulations of the integrated technology of extraction and utilization of mine methane are experimentally established as well as forecasts of the absolute methane content of the stoping area by the sources of methane release during the coal extraction.

Keywords: coal seam, mine, production, well, drilling, methane content, methane abundance, degassing, breakage face

Acknowledgments: The investigation was supported within the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement No.075-15-2021-943 as of September 23, 2021, and the European Commission Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) funded project “Advanced methane drainage strategy employing underground directional drilling technology for major risk prevention and greenhouse gases emission mitigation” GA: 847338 – DD-MET – RFCS-2018/RFCS-2018.

For citation: Zakharov V.N., Zaburdyaev V.S., Fedorov E.V., Shlyapin A.V. Safety of high-performance breakage faces in methaneproducing mines. Russian Mining Industry. 2023;(6):64–70. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2023-6-64-70

Article info

Received: 26.10.2023

Revised: 13.11.2023

Accepted: 17.11.2023

Information about the authors

Valerii N. Zaharov – Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Director, Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9309-2391, Scopus ID 56438797200

Viktor S. Zaburdyaev – Dr. Sci. (Eng.), Lead Researcher, Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Evgeny V. Fedorov – Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Leading Researcher, Head of the Department No. 2, Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Aleksey V. Shlyapin – Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Deputy Director for Science, Institute of Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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