Parametric Analysis of Slotting Operation Induced Failure Zones to Stimulate Low Permeability Coal Seams

The main constrain for effective gas drainage in coal mines is the low permeability nature of coal reservoirs. As coal mining activities are extending to deeper subsurface, the ever-increasing in situ stress conditions is anticipated to result in much lower permeability and more challenges for gas emission control in coal mines. In recent years, hydraulic slotting using high-pressure waterjet along underground gas drainage boreholes, as a general solution to stimulate low permeability coal seams, has become increasingly favourable. This paper presents a systematic investigation into the sensitivity of borehole slotting performance to a number of field and operational parameters. A wide range of geomechanical properties, in situ stress conditions, slot geometry and spacing of multiple slots were considered in a series of numerical simulations. The relations between these key parameters and the failure zone size/volume induced by slotting were quantified. The effect of different parameters in improving slotting performance has also been ranked, which provides theoretical base for mine operators to optimise slotting operations.