Large-diameter Boreholes Research Articles

Study on the Application of Comprehensive Gas Control Technology for Source-Separated Three-Dimensional Gas Extraction in Large Mining Faces.

In order to address the challenges of high gas outburst in both the adjacent layers and the coal seam itself faced by large mining faces, a study on the three-dimensional extraction of gas from different sources at a large mining face was conducted. Based on the research on the instability and failure characteristics of the overlying strata during mining and the gas outburst characteristics at the large mining face, a source-separated three-dimensional gas extraction system was established. A comprehensive gas management model for the large mining face, involving the extraction of gas from different sources, has been proposed. This model is suitable for gas management at large mining faces where there is a high gas emission in the adjacent layers and a complex structure of the coal seam. Through numerical simulations using FLAC3D, the height of the "three zones" of the overlying strata and the range of the floor fracture zone at the large mining face were obtained, providing guidance for the layout of high-level drainage roadway, low-level drainage roadway, and floor drainage roadways. Following the coordinated layout of high-level drainage roadway, inclined high-level drainage roadway, and low-level drainage roadway, the reasonable optimization of gas extraction techniques in the coal seam, and the reasonable arrangement of floor rock predrainage roadways, the methane capture efficiency of the large 15115 mining face reached 87.5%. The methane concentrations at the upper corner and in the return airflow being below 0.8%. The methane concentration extracted from the coal seam boreholes is 2.9 times higher than that from the ordinary mining face after adopting "ordinary boreholes + large-diameter boreholes". This gas management model effectively addresses the gas-related challenges of the large mining face and improves the gas extraction rate, achieving harmonious mining and extraction of coal and methane.

Study on Numerical Simulation of Large-Diameter Borehole Pressure Relief in Deep High-Gas Soft Coal Seams.

The deep highly gassy soft coal seam has the characteristics of high ground stress, high gas pressure, and low permeability. In the process of coal roadway excavation, there are problems such as frequent gas concentration exceeding the limit and easy induction of gas dynamic disasters. To investigate the pressure relief and disaster reduction efficiency of large-diameter boreholes in a deep high-gas soft coal seam, the 8002 high-gas working face of the Wuyang coal mine was taken as the engineering background to study the deformation law of large-diameter boreholes in deep high-gas soft coal seams. A coupled damage-stress-seepage model for pressure relief of large-diameter boreholes in gas-bearing coal seams was constructed based on the Hoek-Brown criterion, the correlation between the damage area and the gas pressure distribution in the gas-bearing coal seam after the pressure relief of boreholes of different apertures was analyzed, and the pressure relief efficiency of different technical parameters "three flower holes" in the roadway head was determined. The law of stress transfer, gas migration, and energy release in the coal seam after pressure relief of a large-diameter borehole under different initial gas pressures was revealed, and the power function equations of the damage range and borehole diameter, maximum stress at the roadway head, and driving distance after pressure relief of a gas-bearing coal seam were determined. Results showed that under the confining pressure of the 8002 working face roadway in the Wuyang coal mine, the pressure relief effect of 250 mm aperture is better, the drilling plastic zone is "butterfly" or "X″-type distribution, and the plastic zone range is positively correlated with the aperture size. Under the arrangement of "three flower holes", the plastic zone is larger and the pressure relief effect is better when the hole spacing is 1.4 m. With the increase of initial gas pressure, the vertical stress above the borehole increases and the pressure relief efficiency decreases. According to the vertical stress distribution within 200 h of borehole pressure relief, the pressure relief process is divided into a coal damage and failure stage, stress balance stage, and hole collapse stability stage. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of coal rock gas dynamic disasters by large-diameter drilling in a deep high-gas soft coal seam.

Prevention of Blowout Tests in Large-Diameter Boreholes with Soundless Chemical Demolition Agents and Fracturing Characteristics of Hard Sandstones

Increasing the diameter of the drillhole can facilitate drillhole breakage using soundless chemical demolition agents, but it is prone to cause drillhole blowout, resulting in crushing failure. This paper conducted a blowhole prevention test on a large borehole using the internal insertion cooling pipe method (ICBPM) to test the expansion pressure of cooling pipes with different diameters. During this test, a fracture occurred in a hole with a 75 mm inner diameter in the rectangular sandstone specimens with high strength. It was found that utilizing the ICBPM can effectively hinder the development of blowholes. Expansion and blowhole prevention are optimized with a 0.14 mass ratio of the cooling water to demolition agent and a maximum expansion stress of 49.0 MPa. The guiding effect of the minimum resistance line is significant. In repeated tests, all fissures are distributed in a Y-shape on the free surface where the minimum resistance line is located. The acoustic emission signals from statically fractured hard rock increase abruptly before damage, and the development of rock expansion and fracturing can be obtained through strain monitoring. These results suggest that the ICBPM can reduce the expansion time with a strong crushing effect, satisfying the need to process more crushing projects.

Modelling geomechanical stability of a large deep borehole in shale for radioactive waste disposal

Large diameter boreholes drilled to a depth of 1000–2000 m are currently investigated in Australia as a potential solution for waste emplacement and long-term containment for long-lived intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW). Different potentially suitable types of host rocks are considered, including granite, shale and salt. This study is aimed at assessing the risk of borehole instability for a large diameter deep borehole in shale. The investigation is conducted with numerical simulations using the CSIRO-developed modelling tools FRACOD and FRCAOD3D, and the commercial code Irazu. Previous laboratory experiments on boreholes in deep shale reported in literatures have been used as validation tests of the numerical models. Under hydrostatic stresses, the FRACOD model showed extensive shear-dominated “log-spiral” fractures around a borehole in shale which is similar to the laboratory testings reported in literatures. Subsequently, 2D and 3D numerical models representing a 0.7-m diameter vertical borehole drilled to the depths of 1000 m and 2000 m have been used. “Strong” and “weak” shales are simulated. The strong and weak shales represent the higher and lower ends of the shale strength reported in literature, respectively. Results showed that a “strong” shale exhibited only small borehole breakouts at the depth of 2000 m. The “weak” shale showed large breakouts (>1.5 m) at depths of 1000 m and 2000 m caused by extensive shear fracturing. In the scenario where a pre-existing 3D fracture crosscuts the borehole, the existing fracture may propagate deeper into the rock formation depending on its orientation and on the in situ stress magnitudes. Predictions based on analytical solutions indicate a 0.02-m and 0.04-m thick casing could prevent severe failure of rock mass at 1000 and 2000 m depths, respectively. Insights from model-based investigations of borehole breakouts are critical during the site selection of rocks with suitable geomechanical properties for waste disposal and for optimising the design of large-diameter boreholes for drilling, waste emplacement and long-term safety.

Research on the causal mechanism of a rock burst accident in a longwall roadway and its prevention measures

Based on the disaster characteristics and the geo-conditions at the scene, in this study, the occurrence mechanism of a serious rock burst accident that occurred in the Tangshan Coal Mine, China, was analysed. Ground stress measurements showed that the mine is in a high ground stress area dominated by horizontal tectonic stress around 33 MPa. Laboratory testing revealed that the coal was a hard seam of 8.3 MPa over bedded by a thick and hard roof stratum with uniaxial compressive strength of 66 MPa. The calculation results indicated that the accident occurred in the roof rebounding area. It is proposed that the hard roof and the hard coal seam formed a seesaw structure around the working face. The vertical pressure relief caused the rib coal mass to lose its clamping forces from the roof and floor and rush into the roadway, resulting in a rock burst accident. Based on the causality mechanism of the rock burst disaster developed in this study, pertinent coal bump prevention measures have been undertaken in practice. Large-diameter boreholes were drilled to eliminate the pivot effect of the seam. Roof blasting was undertaken to prevent the roof from forming a seesaw plank. To summarize, a new causality mechanism for rock burst in coal mines under hard roof and hard seam geo-conditions was developed.

A Study on Disasters Induced by Head-On Ejection in High-Speed Driving under the Influence of Roof Drainage

During the gob-side entry driving of the Jurassic coal seam in Western China, ejection disasters occur under the influence of roof drainage, which rarely appear in the eastern mining area. To address this problem, a method combining theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and field monitoring was used to study the disaster induced by head-on ejection during speedy driving under the influence of roof drainage in the context of gob-side entry driving of the 2202 auxiliary haulage roadway in a mine. A calculation model for the critical energy conditions for disasters induced by head-on ejection was established. The relationships between the driving velocity and the dynamic and static loads on the driving face and the disasters induced by ejection were clarified under the influence of roof drainage. The results indicate that the energy threshold for ejection-induced disaster is 12.23 kJ, and the elastic energy of the driving face induced only by static load fails to reach the energy threshold. When the driving velocity exceeds 5 m/d, microseismic activity in front of the driving face increases in a stepwise manner, and the influence of dynamic load intensifies. The superposition of accumulated elastic energy induced by static load and the energy transmitted by microearthquake to the driving face exceeds the energy threshold, resulting in the risk of ejection-induced disaster. Based on this, measures such as microseismic monitoring in front of the driving face, advanced pulverized coal monitoring, driving speed adjustment, and advanced pressure relief of large-diameter boreholes are adopted to ensure safe driving.

Instability Mechanism, Pressure Relief, and Long Anchorage Control Countermeasures for Surrounding Rock of Strong Mining Roadway at Large Mining Height Working Face

Double-roadway tunneling could mitigate the contradiction between mining production needs and tunneling speed, which is pivotal to the sustainable development of underground mines. However, it is very difficult to control the stability of a mining roadway on an adjacent working face suffering from strong mining disturbance due to double-roadway tunneling, especially at a large mining height working face. In order to control the stability of the return air roadway (RAR) 23205 of a strong mining roadway at working face 23205 in the Zhuanlongwan Coal Mine in Inner Mongolia, we carried out field monitoring, theoretical analysis, numerical simulations, and engineering practice to identify the main factors influencing the deformations and the stress distribution law of the surrounding rock in order to propose countermeasures for strong mining roadways. The results show the factors influencing the large deformation of strong mining roadways include large mining height, repeated mining, stress concentration due to the large coal pillar, and a small thickness of the anchorage layer in the roof. The stress peak in the central coal pillar caused by the first and second mining is 23.19 MPa and 27.49 MPa, respectively, and the stress concentration coefficients are 4.538 and 5.379, respectively. Countermeasures (pressure relief via large-diameter boreholes in the large coal pillar and long anchorage for roof reinforcement) were created to control the stability of a strong mining roadway, i.e., RAR 23205. Field measurements indicated that deformations in RAR 23205 could be efficiently controlled. The maximum deformation of the surrounding rock was 50 mm, which meets the safety and efficient production requirements of the coal mine. In addition, new roadway layout optimization and control countermeasures are put forward to control the stability of mining roadways.

Movement Law of Methane Drained by Large-Diameter Borehole Drilling Machine in the Goaf

To study the movement law of methane in the goaf drained by a large-diameter borehole drilling machine under “U”-shaped ventilation, a simulation on a coal mine was conducted on Fluent to find the optimal spacing between large-diameter boreholes and the most appropriate distance between the borehole and the upper corner. The variation of borehole drilling and the methane concentration in the upper corner were obtained through a field test. Results show that the method of drilling large-diameter boreholes greatly reduces the methane concentration in the goaf and the upper corner, with the optimal borehole spacing being 30 m and the most appropriate distance between the borehole and the upper corner being 15 m. When the large-diameter borehole is drilled 25 m deep down into the goaf, it penetrates into the stress impact area, and the methane concentration increases rapidly, with the maximum being 3.7%. When the borehole is drilled 35 m down into the goaf, the methane concentration slightly decreases as a result of the drainage superposition effect. The methane concentration in the upper corner increases as the borehole is drilled deeper and is farther away from the upper corner. As a result of the drainage superposition effect, the methane concentration in the upper corner varies from 0.32% to 0.51% in a cyclical way.

Numerical Simulation Research on the Pressure Relief and Permeability Enhancement Mechanism of Large-Diameter Borehole in Coal Seam

In order to achieve high-efficiency extraction of coal seams with large-diameter borehole and large flow rates, and to rapidly reduce coal seam gas content and pressure, a large-diameter borehole coal seam pressure relief and permeability enhancement technology is proposed. In this paper, numerical simulation is used to study the mechanism of pressure relief and permeability enhancement in coal seams with large-diameter boreholes, and the evolution of stress, cracks, gas, and permeability of coal bodies around boreholes with different diameters is discussed. The research results show that the stress changes in the coal body around the borehole are symmetrically distributed around the borehole. The stress evolution controls the evolution of the coal body’s cracks. Firstly, damage occurs around the borehole and then extends to the upper left and right corners, like a butterfly spreading its wings. The crushing zone increases with the increase of the hole diameter, and the impact radius of the 100-mm, 200-mm, 300-mm, and 350-mm diameter borehole rupture is 0.375 m, 0.65 m, 1.0 m, and 1.25 m, respectively. The rupture radius of the double 350-mm diameter borehole can reach 2.4 m. The larger the diameter of the borehole, the more fissures will be produced, and the air permeability of the coal body in the affected coal seam area will obviously increase. The research results provide theoretical support for gas drainage in soft, low-permeability, high-gas coal seams.

Mechanism and Control of Rockburst Induced by Draining Spatial Islands and Squaring

A small-pillar gob-side roadway showed rockburst appearance during the mining of a gob-side working face located in the Shaanxi-Inner Mongolia mining area. This study examines the 2202 gob-side working face of a coal mine in Inner Mongolia as a case study. A stress evolution model was built for the static-stress spatial islands formed by drainage regions and goafs based on the spatial relationships between drainage regions and goafs. The average microseismic frequency and energy of the high-stress zone of spatial islands were at least 1.37 times of those of other zones, validating the presence of spatial islands. The dynamic and static load effects of working face squaring were obtained based on the evolution of the stope roof as well as changes in microseismic data. Microseismically active zones were advanced to 200 m–300 m on working faces. The rockbursts induced by high static loads and dynamic and static loads formed by spatial islands and squaring were calculated. According to calculation results, the critical stress concentration value under high static loads was 3.27; the critical static stress concentration value under dynamic and static loads was 1.81. The superposition of drainage boundary stress, goaf lateral stress, and lead stress might reach the critical stress concentration under dynamic load disturbances, causing rockbursts. A stress adjustment scheme was established, including overall hydraulic fracturing of the external roof of the drainage region, reduction of stoping speed, and pressure relief of large-diameter boreholes. The stress adjustment scheme was implemented on-site and supplemented by monitoring and early warning methods to safely advance by the first squaring region.

Analysis of the work of steps using the eccentricity limiter for drilling wells with a diameter of 393,7 mm

Based on the results of the analysis of theoretical and practical studies of drilling large diameter boreholes, a method is proposed for designing the bottom hole assembly with two rock cutting tools, taking into account geological and technical factors that influence the formation of the well trajectory. Prospects for controlling the direction of the wellbore are substantiated using the limiter of the eccentricity value. The calculation of double-hole assemblies of the bottom of the drill string with different diameters of eccentricity limiters, allowing to achieve eccentricities of 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm and 40 mm has been performed. The analysis of the operation of the mentioned bottom hole assemblies when drilling a well to a depth of 900 m is carried out. The analysis is carried out in the field of construction of deep boreholes of large diameter and the efficiency of drilling a pilot hole of a smaller diameter with simultaneous formation of the final diameter using a reamer is substantiated. A brief analysis of modern foreign and domestic studies and publications related to the expansion of the pilot wellbore is presented, as well as the influence of the expansion eccentricity on the elastic-deformation state of the BHA and, as a result, on the deviation of the well is considered. A conclusion is made about the possibility of using the phenomenon of eccentric expansion to control the trajectory of the wellbore. The graphical dependences of the change in the intensity of the borehole deviation during deepening using the eccentricity of the limiter for a specific BHA, including a bit with a diameter of 295.3 mm and a reamer with a size of 393.7 mm, are shown. It is shown that with this type of arrangement at different values ​​of eccentricities, it is possible to achieve the intensity of borehole curvature in the range from 0 deg/10 m to 0.44 deg/100 m, 0075, indicating a change in the direction and magnitude of eccentricity during drilling. The graphical dependences of the change in the zenith angle of the well when deepening it for the assembly of the bottom of the drill string with different diameters of the eccentricity limiter are given. The graphical dependencies indicate that when using stops of different sizes, which make it possible to control the eccentric displacement of the reamer at the final drilling depth of a section of 500 m, it is possible to reduce the increase in the zenith angle of the well from 17.5 degrees to 10 degrees. It is concluded that by using the limiters of the eccentric displacement of the expander relative to the pilot borehole, it is possible to control the deviation of the well during the construction of conditionally vertical and inclined sections.

Optimization and Practice for Partition Pressure Relief of Deep Mining Roadway Using Empty-Hole and Deep-Hole Blasting to Weaken Coal

Rockbursts are among the most harmful dynamic disasters, threatening the personnel safety and mine operation. In order to alleviate stress concentration of roadsides and prevent rockbursts, the large-diameter boreholes and deep-hole blasting are employed for partition pressure relief in the deep mining roadway. Combined with failure behavior and stress distribution of the coal, the multilevel division of risk degree for roadsides stress is determined. Based on the orthogonal test of borehole pressure relief in the general danger partition, the response degree of quantitative indexes to main factors influencing the pressure relief effect is considered. The optimal drilling parameters of 120.0 mm diameter, 20.0 m depth, 1.0 m hole spacing, and 5° elevation angle are obtained, determining the stress boundary of safe pressure relief with boreholes. At higher dangerous stress divisions, the optimized blasting parameters through numerical simulation could be obtained as follows: 15.0 m depth, 1.3 decoupling coefficient, and 2.0 m hole spacing, and meanwhile, a stress relief partition of crisscross cracks with 0.61 m height is formed. The roadsides stress could be well controlled within the safe level. Then, an optimal combination of pressure relief is applied to different stress partition of roadsides, and the effectiveness is validated by field test, which proves remarkably applicable for engineering.

Pressure-Relief Mechanism and Application of Large-Diameter Boreholes in Coal Seams with Rockburst Hazard

Drilling of large-diameter boreholes is regarded as an effective measure for rockburst prevention. By investigating the morphological characteristic and evolution of plastic zone in borehole surrounding rock, the pressure-relief mechanism of large-diameter borehole was ascertained, and the engineering application of large-diameter boreholes was assessed in the 13230 working face of Gengcun Coal Mine, Henan Province, China. The results showed that (1) the plastic zone in surrounding rock of borehole appear as circular, elliptical, and butterfly shapes, in which the maximum size of the butterfly wings of the plastic zone is several times larger than the borehole diameter; (2) under certain stress conditions, multiple large-diameter boreholes distributed in coal seam with rockburst risk lead to the generation and coalescence of large-range butterfly-shape plastic zone. They reduce the stress concentration and capacity for storing elastic energy of coal seam, thus reducing the rockburst risk of the coal seam; (3) large-diameter boreholes significantly decrease the stress concentration in front of the 13230 working face and improve the stress environment in the head entry, promoting the safe mining of the working face.

Goaf Gas Control Improvement by Optimizing the Adjacent Roadway Large-Diameter Boreholes

This study introduced gas control technology in goaf using adjacent roadway large-diameter (550 mm) boreholes to control gas accumulation in the upper corner of a fully mechanized working face in high-gas coal seams. The gas control process in the upper corner and gas interception in goaf by large-diameter boreholes was analyzed using the CFD model of the gas flow in goaf. The latter considered the control equation of gas flow, the established permeability model of goaf, and the gas emission law in goaf. Using the 2-105 working face of the Tenghui Coal Mine, Shanxi Province, China, as a case study, the distribution patterns of gas concentration and flow field in the goaf for various extraction flow parameters and different positions of boreholes were numerically simulated. The dependences between various locations, drainage flows, and the gas concentration in the upper corner were determined and fitted by engineering equations. The evolution pattern of the spontaneous combustion zone in the goaf under the drainage conditions was also analyzed. The optimal borehole configuration parameters ensuring the extraction flow rate exceeding 3 m·s−1 and the effective gas control in the upper corner of the working face at a distance of 5 m–15 m behind the working face were identified. The engineering practice proved the feasibility of gas control in the goaf using the adjacent roadway large-diameter borehole. The gas concentrations in the return airflow and the upper corner of the working face were kept below 0.65 and 0.8%, respectively, to ensure production safety and improve the gas utilization efficiency.

Mechanism and Control of Roadway Floor Rock Burst Induced by High Horizontal Stress

According to the characteristics of rock burst of high horizontal stress roadway floor, the rock burst mechanism of roadway floor was studied with the background of south track roadway Xing’an mine. Based on the deflection theory and energy principle of the slab, the mechanical model of the floor of the roadway under high horizontal stress was established, the stress and energy criteria of rock burst occurred in the floor of the roadway were deduced, the prevention and control measures of the floor pressure relief with large diameter borehole and concrete-filled steel tube pile support were put forward, and the key parameters were determined. By establishing a numerical model, the evolution law of plastic zone, horizontal stress, and elastic strain energy density of roadway floor with or without support is contrastively analyzed. The results show that the effective means to prevent and control the floor rock burst is to cut off the stress transfer path by weakening the hard floor to reduce floor energy accumulation so as to reduce the floor rock burst risk. Based on the above research, field tests were carried out, and the microseismic monitoring results showed that the floor pressure relief of large diameter boreholes and concrete-filled steel tube pile support effectively relieved the floor rock burst and guaranteed the safety and efficiency of roadway excavation. This technology can provide a reference for the prevention and control of floor rock burst of similar roadways.

Study on Microseismic Monitoring, Early Warning, and Comprehensive Prevention of a Rock Burst under Complex Conditions

Rock bursts in coal mines are usually unpredictable. In view of this problem, the energy–frequency relationship and spatial distribution characteristics of microseismic events during the mining of 5305 working face in Xinhe Coal Mine under complex geological conditions were analyzed in this study. Besides, the law and precursors of rock burst occurrence in this working face were discussed. The following research results were obtained. Before the rock burst occurred in 5305 working face, the energy and frequency of microseismic events vary in the following order: “peak-drop-rise-rock burst.” The analysis on spatial characteristics of microseismic events suggests that microseismic events were mainly concentrated at the boundary between the roof and the coal seam or at the hard roof near the coal seam within 0–160 m in front of the working face, and most of the events lay on the goaf side. Moreover, the energy and frequency of microseismic events both decrease in the above region before the rock burst occurred. This “microseismic event absence” phenomenon can be regarded as one of the precursors of rock burst occurrence. In addition, a multilevel antiburst scheme was proposed for the complex conditions: (1) to adopt large-diameter boreholes pressure relief technology and key layer high-level pressure relief technology for adjusting the stress distribution in the surrounding rock of crossheading in front of the working face and dissipating elastic strain energy; (2) to determine the advance speed to be 1.5 m/d for reducing the mining disturbance; (3) to adopt full-section reinforced support of the roadway for enhancing the antiburst capacity of surrounding rock. After the implementation of this scheme, the energy and frequency of microseismic events monitored on-site changed gently, and 5305 working face was safely recovered to the stop line position. The scheme boasts a remarkable rock burst prevention and control effect.

Fracture analysis of multi-hard roofs based on microseismic monitoring and control techniques for induced rock burst: a case study

The fracture and behavior of multi-hard and thick roofs differ from those of other types of overlying strata. Therefore, abnormal rock pressure problems, such as gateway instability, rock burst, and hydraulic cylinder damage, will be encountered as a result of the instantaneous fracture of roofs. The key to controlling the behavior of the strata is to obtain the movement and fracture patterns of multi-hard and thick roofs. The periodical characteristics and occurrence zones of microseismic (MS) events of M mine with multi-hard and thick roofs were analyzed in the case study. Then the mining-induced fracturing and movement of the roofs were investigated. Anti-burst measures, including the “ultra-deep hole pre-split blasting measure,” the “stronger large-diameter boreholes pressure relief measure,” and the “reducing advancing speed measure,” were implemented according to the conclusions from MS monitoring. Finally, the aim of “there were earthquakes, but there were no accidents” was achieved through these measures.

Engineering solutions for casing drilling in pre-mine drainage

The authors discuss application of the casing while drilling technology in pre-mine drainage. The currentness of this technology and its advantages are proved. The scope of the discussion embraces operating principle of the equipment used in casing drilling. A new method for batch removal of drill fines from large-diameter boreholes is described. The economic efficiency of the technology is evaluated in terms of drainage holes drilled using rig SANDVIK DE-880 in Kirov mine at SUEK-Kuzass.

Mechanism of rock burst induced by fault slip in an island coal panel and hazard assessment using seismic tomography: a case study from Xuzhuang colliery, Xuzhou, China

Rock burst hazards induced by fault slip frequently occur in underground mining and threaten the safety of miners. In this paper, the structures of overlying strata, mechanism of fault slip, and rock burst pre-warning using seismic tomography were investigated in LW7192, a specific island longwall panel in Xuzhuang Colliery. The results show that an asymmetrical “T” structure of overlying strata is formed during LW7192 retreat, and the long hanging length of overlying key strata is maintained due to the short panel width. By analysing a modified fault sliding model, it is found that the time interval between two fault slips has a positive correlation with the energy released therein. The rock burst that occurred in LW7192 has the longest time interval between events compared with other high-energy tremors near the fault, and enormous elastic energies released by fault slip as a form of dynamic load. The superposition of dynamic loads and high stress concentration of the coal-rock mass contributes to the rock burst in LW7192. For forecasting rock burst hazards, seismic tomography was used and the results show that the velocity anomaly regions correspond well with the area of both strong tremors and the rock burst. Ultimately, large-diameter boreholes, directional hydraulic fracturing boreholes, and floor distressing boreholes were taken in the rock burst area, and the pressure relief is proved effective by seismic tomography assessment.

Multiparameter Monitoring and Prevention of Fault-Slip Rock Burst

Fault-slip rock burst is one type of the tectonic rock burst during mining. A detailed understanding of the precursory information of fault-slip rock burst and implementation of monitoring and early warning systems, as well as pressure relief measures, are essential to safety production in deep mines. This paper first establishes a mechanical model of stick-slip instability in fault-slip rock bursts and then reveals the failure characteristics of the instability. Then, change rule of mining-induced stress and microseismic signals before the occurrence of fault-slip rock burst are proposed, and multiparameter integrated early warning methods including mining-induced stress and energy are established. Finally, pressure relief methods targeting large-diameter boreholes and coal seam infusion are presented in accordance with the occurrence mechanism of fault-slip rock burst. The research results have been successfully applied in working faces 2310 of the Suncun Coal Mine, and the safety of the mine has been enhanced. These research results improve the theory of fault-slip rock burst mechanisms and provide the basis for prediction and forecasting, as well as pressure relief, of fault-slip rock bursts.