Field investigation into directional hydraulic fracturing for hard roof in Tashan Coal Mine

Abstract

Research and development of safe and effective control technology of hard roof is an inevitable trend at present. Directional hydraulic fracturing technology is expected to become a safe and effective way to control and manage hard roof. In order to make hard roof fracture in a directional way, a hydraulic fracture field test has been conducted in the third panel district of Tashan Coal Mine in Datong. First, two hydraulic fracturing drilling holes and four observing drilling holes were arranged in the roof, followed by a wedge-shaped ring slot in each hydraulic fracturing drilling hole. The hydraulic fracturing holes were then sealed and, hydraulic fracturing was conducted. The results show that the hard roof is fractured directionally by the hydraulic fracturing function of the two fracturing drilling holes; the sudden drop, or the overall downward trend of hydraulic pressure from hydraulic monitoring is the proof that the rock in the hard roof has been fractured. The required hydraulic pressure to fracture the hard roof in Tashan coal mine, consisting of carboniferous sandstone layer, is 50.09 MPa, and the fracturing radius of a single drilling hole is not less than 10.5 m. The wedge-shaped ring slot made in the bottom of the hydraulic fracturing drilling hole plays a guiding role for crack propagation. After the hydraulic fracturing drill hole is cracked, the propagation of the resulting hydraulic crack, affected mainly by the regional stress field, will turn to other directions.