Fines migration has posed a great challenge to gas and water production in CBM reservoirs, resulting not only in dramatic permeability reduction but also in excessive wear on equipment. The objective of this study was to investigate critical flow conditions for massive fines detachment in the dewatering phase, for the purpose of yielding an improved understanding of fines detachment mechanisms and their effective control in the field. First, fines migration experiments under saturated conditions, including effluent concentration and permeability measurements, were conducted at elevated pressure gradients on fractured coal samples with various apertures. Experimental results indicate the existence of a critical pressure gradient (CPG) for massive fines detachment. Second, a mathematical model was developed to describe single particle detachment in the fracture, accounting for the coupling effects of hydrodynamic and extended-DLVO forces. Effects of fines size and fracture aperture on fines detachment were ...