Researches of fracture evolution induced by soft rock protective seam mining and an omni-directional stereo pressure-relief gas extraction technical system: a case study

In the absence of a suitable coal seam to serve as the protective seam in deep mining, an innovative solution of using the soft rock seam as the protective seam mining has been put forward. Taking the Luling Coal Mine as the engineering background, theoretical analysis and similar simulation experiment were conducted to study the key technologies used in soft rock protective seam (SRPS) mining. This included the characteristics of the pressure-relief gas source and accumulation zone, and the pressure-relief gas extraction of the protected seam. The results show that after mining the SRPS, the pressure-relief gas rushing out of nearby coal seams has become the major gas source in SRPS mining. An omni-directional stereo pressure-relief gas extraction system was developed, which consisted of techniques such as buried pipes in the goaf, ground extraction wells, intercepting boreholes, and seam-crossing boreholes. During the investigation, the total pressure-relief gas extraction flow amounted to 29.5 m 3 /min, and the gas pre-extraction rate reached 66.6% for the overlying protected seams (seams 8 and 9). The investigation into the protective effects in the cut hole showed that the maximal gas pressure and content were 0.35 MPa and 4.87 m 3 /t, respectively. This indicated that drilling extraction boreholes in the gas accumulation zone played a key role in obtaining an improved pressure-relief gas extraction effect. Further, these findings suggested that SRPS mining (in combination with omni-directional stereo pressure-relief gas extraction technology) could turn dangerous coal seams into ones with much less gas content, and hence free from gas outburst.