Title: Hydraulic fracturing and its effect on gas extraction and coal and gas outburst prevention in a protective layer: a case study in China

Authors: Liang Cheng; Zhaolong Ge; Jiufu Chen; Lishuang Zou; Yugang Cheng; Songqiang Xiao

Addresses: State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China; China Merchants Chongqing Communications Technology Research and Design Institute Co., Ltd., Chongqing 400067, China ' State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China ' Chongqing Energy Investment Group, Chongqing 400060, China ' Chongqing Energy Investment Group, Chongqing 400060, China ' State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China ' State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, China

Abstract: Gas extraction to eliminate coal and gas outburst risk is important to ensure safe and efficient coal production for protective layer with coal and gas outburst risk. In this paper, Tonghua coal mine, China, is taken as an example to demonstrate the effects of gas disasters prevention using hydraulic fracturing (HF). The results show that: 1) HF can effectively improve the efficiency of gas extraction. The gas production increased by 62.12% with the borehole number of gas pre-drainage decreased by 45.66%, respectively; 2) efficient gas extraction reduces the occurrence of mine gas safety violations significantly with the gas accidents decreased by 89.3%; 3) the production efficiency of protective layer increased significantly with coal production increased by 49.5%; 4) gas was used for power generation instead of being vented to the atmosphere. This study could be used as a valuable example for other coal deposits being mined under similar geological conditions. [Received: December 4, 2017; Accepted: May 16, 2018]

Keywords: mining safety; gas disaster; hydraulic fracturing; coal and gas outburst; coalbed methane; China.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2020.106147

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2020 Vol.23 No.4, pp.427 - 449

Received: 04 Dec 2017
Accepted: 16 May 2018
Published online: 01 Apr 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article