Methane emissions from four working places in the Beckley Mine, Raleigh County, W. Va. [5 refs]

Technical Report · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977

OSTI ID:7325163

Jeran, P W; Lawhead, D H; Irani, M C

The Beckley mine is one of five new mines in a heretofore unmined portion of the Beckley coalbed. The remoteness of these new mines from prior mining and their greater overburden preclude applying methane emission experience obtained in the old mines. Four sections of the Beckley mine were monitored. The data gathered show that variations in methane emission cannot be explained by variations in coal production. Although overburdens varied by as much as 30 percent, no correlation with methane emissions could be determined. The rib emissions increase with increased length of rib from a section advancing into virgin coal and do not decline over a prolonged idle period (32 days) whereas some decline has been measured for a section not mining into virgin coal. The indication is that degasification prior to mining will reduce the hazard of methane emissions in this area of the Beckley coalbed.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Pittsburgh, PA (USA). Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7325163
• Report Number(s): BM-RI-8212
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
012000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Mining
016000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Health & Safety
ALKANES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CENTRAL REGION
COAL
COAL MINES
COAL MINING
CRYOGENIC FLUIDS
DEGASSING
DIFFUSION
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HAZARDS
HYDROCARBONS
METHANE
MINES
MINING
MONITORING
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OVERBURDEN
PRODUCTION
UNDERGROUND MINING
USA
WEST VIRGINIA