دانلود رایگان ترجمه مقاله تحلیل عملکردهای تولیدی چال تهویه جهت کنترل گاز چینه ها در استخراج معدن (نشریه الزویر 2015)

تحلیل عملکردهای تولیدی چال تهویه برای گاز حاصل از زائدات معدن زغال سنگ جهت کنترل گاز چینه ها در استخراج معدن با جبهه کار بلند

Analysis of gob gas venthole production performances for strata gas control in longwall mining

Abstract

Longwall mining of coal seams affects a large area of overburden by deforming it and creating stress-relief fractures, as well as bedding plane separations, as the mining face progresses. Stress-relief fractures and bedding plane separations are recognized as major pathways for gas migration from gas-bearing strata into sealed and active areas of the mines. In order for strata gas not to enter and inundate the ventilation system of a mine, gob gas ventholes (GGVs) can be used as a methane control measure. The aim of this paper is to analyze production performances of GGVs drilled over a longwall panel. These boreholes were drilled to control methane emissions from the Pratt group of coals due to stress-relief fracturing and bedding plane separations into a longwall mine operating in the Mary Lee/Blue Creek coal seam of the Upper Pottsville Formation in the Black Warrior Basin, Alabama. During the course of the study, Pratt coal’s reservoir properties were integrated with production data of the GGVs. These data were analyzed by using material balance techniques to estimate radius of influence of GGVs, gas-in-place and coal pressures, as well as their variations during mining.

The results show that the GGVs drilled to extract gas from the stress-relief zone of the Pratt coal interval is highly effective in removing gas from the Upper Pottsville Formation. The radii of influence of the GGVs were in the order of 330–380 m, exceeding the widths of the panels, due to bedding plane separations and stress relieved by fracturing. Material balance analyses indicated that the initial pressure of the Pratt coals, which was around 648 KPa when longwall mining started, decreased to approximately 150 KPa as the result of strata fracturing and production of released gas. Approximately 70% of the initial gas-in-place within the area of influence of the GGVs was captured during a period of one year.

1 Introduction

Longwall mining induces deformation, fracturing, and bedding plane separations within a large volume in the overburden strata. These effects can release a significant amount of gas from overburden strata, which may find its way into sealed and active areas of the mine if not controlled. Therefore, strata gas control, especially in geologies with high gas amount, is an important consideration in support of ventilation to ensure mine safety in addition to its benefits as an unconventional energy source.1–3

In the U.S and elsewhere, gob gas ventholes (GGVs) are the most common borehole type used to control gas from the fractured strata by capturing it before it can enter the mine environment.4–8 Despite the importance of these boreholes in controlling gob gas, it may be hard to predict their performance due to stability issues,9,10 relative importance of different operational parameters on their performance,11 and the effect of surface elevation (overburden thickness) on the rate-decline properties.12 A schematic representation of the various zones of deformation in longwall overburden and a GGV placed to control strata gas is shown in Fig. 1.

While some of the operational constraints, such as suction pressure, casing depth, proximity to tailgate of the longwall panel, can be addressed for optimum performance of GGVs,11 one of the most important aspects of gob gas venthole performance is dynamic subsidence and the geology of the overburden strata that is affected by it. Dynamic subsidence, or surface movement, of a particular location begins as mining face approaches, and continues until maximum displacement occurs after longwall face passes that location to some distance. The magnitude of the displacement and how it progresses are controlled primarily by the thickness of the extraction, the width of the panel, the overburden thickness and the properties of the strata. The properties of the strata not only affect the subsidence and the stress distribution,13 but also where emission potential from the strata surrounding the coal mine can develop and how GGV designs can be optimized to control emissions.