Abstract
The paper presents the variability of hard coal output, methane content and methane emissions into coal workings and into the atmosphere from the two most methane-gassy coal mines in Poland. The Budryk mine is one of the youngest mines in Poland, but it is the most methane-gassy as well. In 2016, the total CH4 emissions exceed 140 million of m3. This large increase in methane emissions to mine workings is primarily related to the increase in the depth of coal extraction (up to 1290 m) and, consequently, the rapid increase in the methane content in coal seams (up to 10–12 m3/Mg coaldaf). On the other hand, in the Pniówek mine, methane emission was the highest at the beginning of the study period (1986–1991). During the following years, emission decreased to the values of less than 140 million of m3, which were still one of the largest amounts of emitted methane in the entire Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The coexistence of natural factors, such as the geological structure and gas distribution, as well as mining-related factors, i.e. the depth of mining, the intensity of coal extraction determines the temporal variability of methane emissions in the studied mines.
Highlights
The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) (Fig. 1) is the most industrialised region in Poland, providing bituminous coal for heat and power generation, as well as coking coal for coke production
The Budryk and Pniówek mines belong to the most gassy mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. Both are located in different parts of the basin, which are characterised by both different geological structure and spatial distribution of gas content
At the Budryk mine, the youngest in the basin, coal mining was initially carried out (1990s) in a shallow naturally degassed zone, it entered into a deeper zone with high methane content of 12 and more m3/Mg coaldaf
Summary
The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) (Fig. 1) is the most industrialised region in Poland, providing bituminous coal for heat and power generation, as well as coking coal for coke production. Two mines from the USCB, Budryk and Pniówek—members of the Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa SA, were chosen to identify and study variations in methane emissions. The amount of methane emission from a coal deposit is strictly dependent on many factors, which can be roughly divided into natural factors related to the geological structure. The Pniówek coal mine is characterised by the one of the highest methane emissions in Poland. In the Budryk mine, methane emission has been increasing rapidly since 2013 and it is the highest in the country
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