Location

Rolla, Missouri

Session Dates

11 Jun 1999 - 17 Jun 1999

Keywords and Phrases

Hydrogen Sulphide; H2S; Seam Gases; Mine Ventilation; Geostatistical Methods

Abstract

Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) has been encountered within a number of Bowen Basin collieries, Central Queensland, Australia. High concentration occurrence during mining of a longwall panel raises a number of potential problems, which demand greater understanding to allow efficient mining while maintaining safe and healthy environmental conditions. Longwall panels at Mine A and Mine B have recently mined through H2S zones. The high H2S zone mined through at Mine A was wide and covering the whole length of the face comparing to the narrow H2S zone which was cutting the panel at 45° at Mine B. Longwall panels had been sampled for H2S in pre-mining phases with vertical and inseam exploration boreholes and rib sampling of gateroad development headings. During mining face coal samples were collected in an intensive program and tested in a drum tumbler to determine an "indicated" seam concentration level through contouring that could be used to calculate the concentrations of H2S liberated to the atmosphere. Data was analysed to determine a geostatistical method, which would best represent the "indicated" seam concentration level from the given data and the block dimension of the data set. This study discusses the different sampling methods used, selection of the most suitable geostatistical method and the impact of grid size on results of data analysis. Some general observations are made correlating "indicated" seam H2S concentrations from production face sampling with both predictions made from exploration and liberation rates during mining of the longwall panel.

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Meeting Name

8th U.S. Mine Ventilation Symposium

Publisher

University of Missouri--Rolla

Document Version

Final Version

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

File Type

text

Language

English

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Jun 11th, 12:00 AM Jun 17th, 12:00 AM

Modelling of the Occurrence of Hydrogen Sulphide in Coal Seams

Rolla, Missouri

Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) has been encountered within a number of Bowen Basin collieries, Central Queensland, Australia. High concentration occurrence during mining of a longwall panel raises a number of potential problems, which demand greater understanding to allow efficient mining while maintaining safe and healthy environmental conditions. Longwall panels at Mine A and Mine B have recently mined through H2S zones. The high H2S zone mined through at Mine A was wide and covering the whole length of the face comparing to the narrow H2S zone which was cutting the panel at 45° at Mine B. Longwall panels had been sampled for H2S in pre-mining phases with vertical and inseam exploration boreholes and rib sampling of gateroad development headings. During mining face coal samples were collected in an intensive program and tested in a drum tumbler to determine an "indicated" seam concentration level through contouring that could be used to calculate the concentrations of H2S liberated to the atmosphere. Data was analysed to determine a geostatistical method, which would best represent the "indicated" seam concentration level from the given data and the block dimension of the data set. This study discusses the different sampling methods used, selection of the most suitable geostatistical method and the impact of grid size on results of data analysis. Some general observations are made correlating "indicated" seam H2S concentrations from production face sampling with both predictions made from exploration and liberation rates during mining of the longwall panel.