ACARP ACARP ACARP ACARP
Underground

Aquifer Inflow Prediction above Longwall Panels

Underground » Communications

Published: June 20Project Number: C13013

Get ReportAuthor: Winton Gale | SCT Operations Pty Ltd

Water inflow into coal mines has been a design issue for many years. Guidelines as to the potential for water inflow have been developed in many countries based on local experience and the form of mining being undertaken. In most instances, the guidelines relate to inflows which would endanger underground personnel and operations.

 

In more recent times, water inflow criteria for mines has been widened to include lesser inflows which may not impact on mine safety or operations, but have the potential to reduce water flow within streams and surface aquifers. For the purpose of this report the larger inflows relating to mining safety are defined as mine inflow and the lesser inflow relating to aquifer water loss as environmental inflow.

 

The water losses referred to are those which enter the mine from the surface or from near surface aquifers.

 

The empirical relationships developed as mine design guidelines or regulations typically relate to high flow (mine inflow) situations and in this report these have been reviewed as to their application to environmental inflow. In many cases environmental inflows were unlikely to have been noted or recorded in many mining operations in the past.

 

The aim of this report was to assess inflows into a mine which occur through the overburden above and adjacent to longwall panels. This study does not address near surface effects such as valley fracturing which may locally redirect near surface flow laterally but not into the mine.

 

In order to study flow about mines, both flow within in situ strata and that within strata impacted by mining needs to be assessed.

 

The key finding is that for simple mine geometries the resultant conductivity above longwall panels can be summarised relative to rockhead depth and subsidence. The impact of more complex geometries and multi seam layouts is best done on the basis of specific geometry of the site by computer modelling.

 

The use of strain as a criteria in this report should be seen as a means of comparing the overseas empirical experience with the conductivity obtained from the modelling. The empirical strain values do not relate to actual measured strain but to the equivalent theoretical strain or systematic strain which is a function of subsidence and depth. Similar criteria can be created from tilt. The experience and that from the modelling indicates that measured strain can be variable over a site due to surface features and this value does not necessarily relate to the theoretical or systematic strain value associated with inflow potential.

 

The best application of these results is considered to be via the data contained in Figure S1/64 on the basis of rockhead and subsidence. Such data typically relates to single panels or multiple panels at shallow depth where chain pillar compression is not significant. In deeper mines where individual panels are subcritical and chain pillar compression or yield is significant, computer modelling of the overall panel geometry is recommended.

 

Underground

Health and safety, productivity and environment initiatives.

Recently Completed Projects

C34007Evaluating Toxicity Of Different Types Of Respirable Crystalline Silica Particles To Lung Cells And Tissues

Silica dust represents one of the most significant occupational haza...

C29010In-Situ Stress Measurement Using Non-Destructive Techniques (Ndts)

Rock in depth is subjected to stresses due to overlaying burden and ...

C33029Review Longwall Face Ventilation To Mitigate Goaf Gas Emissions Onto Walkways And Tailgate End

As longwall mining increasingly targets deeper coal seams, managing ...

Underground

Open Cut

Safety, productivity and the right to operate are priorities for open cut mine research.

Recently Completed Projects

C35029Renewable Energy As Post-Mining Land Use

In 2020, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC), in partnership with...

C33036Radar Tyre Monitor System

This project focussed on trialling a radar sensing technology design...

C26020Preventing Fatigue Cracking Via Proactive Surface Dressing

Fatigue cracking of plant and equipment presents a significant chall...

Open Cut

Coal Preparation

Maximising throughput and yield while minimising costs and emissions.

Recently Completed Projects

C28061Quantitative Based Structural Integrity Evaluations Using Modal Parameters Estimation

This project focused on the development and implementation of a quan...

C34039Development Of A Soft Sensor For Predicting Dense Medium Cyclones Performance

This project details the development of a DMC soft sensor for modell...

C34041A Coal Spiral For The 2020S

The objective of this project is to develop an enhanced coal process...

Coal Preparation

Technical Market Support

Market acceptance and emphasising the advantages of Australian coals.

Recently Completed Projects

C35039Impact Of Coal Grain Composition And Macerals Association On Fluidity Development In Australian Coals

The coke quality prediction models use thermoplastic terms as key ex...

C36004Physical And Chemical Structure Characterisation Of Biomass For Biocoke Production

Partial substitution of coking coal with renewable biomass is identi...

C35037Examination Of Contraction Pre And Post Resolidification Using A High Temperature Dilatation Rig

This project examined the contraction of coking coal samples, both p...

Technical Market Support

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from the production of coal.

Recently Completed Projects

C34066Safe Operation Of Catalytic Reactors For The Oxidation Of VAM Operating Under Abnormal Reaction Conditions

The catalyst Pd/TS-1 has shown excellent activity in oxidising venti...

C28076Selective Absorption Of Methane By Ionic Liquids (SAMIL)

This third and final stage of this project was the culmination of a ...

C29069Low-Cost Catalyst Materials For Effective VAM Catalytic Oxidation

Application of ventilation air methane (VAM) thermal oxidiser requir...

Mine Site Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Low Emission Coal Use

Step-change technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Recently Completed Projects

C17060BGasification Of Australian Coals

Four Australian coals were trialled in the Siemens 5 MWth pilot scale ga...

C17060AOxyfuel Technology For Carbon Capture And Storage Critical Clean Coal Technology - Interim Support

The status of oxy-fuel technology for first-generation plant is indicate...

C18007Review Of Underground Coal Gasification

This report consists of a broad review of underground coal gasification,...

Low Emission Coal Use

Mining And The Community

The relationship between mines and the local community.

Recently Completed Projects

C16027Assessing Housing And Labour Market Impacts Of Mining Developments In Bowen Basin Communities

The focus of this ACARP-funded project has been to identify a number...

C22029Understanding And Managing Cumulative Impacts Of Coal Mining And Other Land Uses In Regions With Diversified Economies

The coal industry operates in the context of competing land-uses that sh...

C23016Approval And Planning Assessment Of Black Coal Mines In NSW And Qld: A Review Of Economic Assessment Techniques

This reports on issues surrounding economic assessment and analysis ...

Mining And The Community

NERDDC

National Energy Research,Development & Demonstration Council (NERDDC) reports - pre 1992.

Recently Completed Projects

1609-C1609Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

Self Heating of Spoil Piles from Open Cut Coal Mines

1301-C1301Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development...

Stress Control Methods for Optimised Development and Extraction Operations

0033-C1356Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals...

Commissioned Report: Australian Thermal Coals - An Industry Handbook

NERDDC