MINING UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS

INTRODUCTION
DIFFERENT CONDITIONS of DEPOSITS
MINING METHODS
OPERATING PROCESS
INTRODUCTION:-
Some ore or coal deposits lying under water or at large depth require
special and careful attention during their extraction. Besides these coal
seams having degree 2 or degree 3 gassiness also require precautionary
operations towards safe extraction of coal. Some coal seams are prone to
bump while some are liable to spontaneous heating. Hence mining of
such type of deposits is a challenge for mining engineers to extract them
with safety and economical considerations.
In India there are so many mines present that are running today telling
their success story of safe and efficient mining operations.
DIFFERENT CONDITIONS OF DEPOSITS:-
Ore or coal deposits can be categorised according to their conditions of
deposit. These are
(a)Ore deposits at extremely large depth
(b) Coal seam prone to bump
(c)Coal seam liable to spontaneous heating
(d) Fiery seam
(e)Irregular coal seam
(f) Gassy seams
(g) Contiguous seam
 (h) Thick seams
(i) Seam prone to inundation
(j) Ore deposits at extremely large depth
(k) Some ore deposits like gold ore have been found at extremely
large depth.
(l) The example is the Gold deposit at Kolar Gold Field.
(m) This is situated in Kolar district of Karnataka. The deposit is
lying at a depth of 1000 to 3000 m.
(n) The mines have been started in 1885 but closed in 2001 due
to higher cost of operation of the mine.
(o) It’s Champion Reef mine was the deepest mine in the world.
Coal seam prone to bump:
Coal deposits lying at large depth are prone to bumps. Location of the
seam are as:
• Dishergarh/Chinakuri
• Natnal/Seetalpur
• Koithee/Bhanora
• Savcotria/Parbelia
• XI seam/Jamadoba
• Poniati/Bhanora
• Coal seam liable to spontaneous heating:
• Some coal seams of higher rank are more susceptible to
spontaneous heating. Mining of such seams becomes a difficult
task.
 • Some coal seams of Jharia coalfields and Raniganj coalfield are
liable to spontaneous combustion.
• Such seams need extra attention towards their safe and efficient
way of extraction.
FIERY SEAMS:-
Coal seams particularly coking coal are more prone to fire. As they
contain banded constituents like Vitrain, Clarain, Durain and Fusain.
Such banded constituents are shiny in colour and are more prone to
oxidation with air. The oxidation process is exothermic in nature causes
release of heat which again accelerates the rate of oxidation. A stage is
reached when the seam catches fire. In Jharia coalfield such fires are
existing since 100 years. Such longstanding fires has been creating a lot
of problems with the adjoining coal seams. Extraction of such seams
becomes a difficult task for mining planners.
IRREGULAR COAL SEAMS:-

Some thicker coal seams have thickness more than 5 m are irregular in
shapes due to various existing geological conditions during their
coalification. In Indian context there are many deposits of such type of
coal seams. Some examples are coal seams present in Jharia, Raniganj
and Godavari basin. As these coal seams are present at considerable
depth causing their extraction by underground mining only. This
imposes the difficulty in their efficient, safe and maximum recovery.
These seams causes not only strata control problems but the poor
recovery, release of harmful gases and poor ventilation are also the
hindrances to the successful extraction. Special and novel methods have
been devised to extract such seams.
GASSY SEAMS:-
During coalification process methane gas also got produced which had
been absorbed in the coal deposit. Based on the presence and
concentration coal seams have been categorised as:
Degree – I gassy seam in which methane concentration is less than 1 m3
pre te
Degree – II gassy seam in which methane concentration is 1 – 10 m3
per te
Degree – III gassy seam in which methane concentration is more than
10 m3/te
Degree II and Degree III seams are more dangerous and need special
attention during its extraction because these gases are inflammable as
well as explosive. There are a lot of cases of accidents in Indian mines
due to fire or explosion of such gas or gases.
CONTIGUOUS SEAMS:-
In India seams that are below 9 m apart are called contagious seams. For
such seams, their workings have to abide by several statutory
requirements that have been mentioned in Regulation 104 of Coal Mine
Regulation, 1957. According to it, no work in a higher seam or section
shall be done over in an area in a lower seam or section which may
collapse. Also, it further mentions that where two or more such seams or
sections are worked in a mine the pillars in one seam or section- shall, as
far as practicable, be vertically above or below the pillars in the other
seam or section unless the strata are inclined at an angle of more than 30
degrees from the horizontal, and the parting left between any two of
such seams or sections shall not be less than three metres in thickness at
any place.
ORE DEPOSITS AT LARGER DEPTHS
For ore deposits found at extremely larger depth are being mined using
shaft to access such deposits. After shaft approach roads, levels and
horizons have been driven. Safety pillars have been developed to
provide support to the mining area. After that suitable method is selected
which include shrinkage stoping, cut and fill stoping and sub level
stoping.
In stoping method such ore deposits are extracted and artificial supports
are also erected to have better control of strata. Besides these special
ventilation system is arranged to extract heat from the mine. For this
purpose air conditioning system is installed.
Coal seam prone to bump:
The followings are important factors to cause bump/bursts.
1) Considerable large thickness of overburden, generally, more than
300m,
2) Structurally strong coal,
3) Massive, strong and stiff roof strata,
4) Competent floor not easily subjected to heaving and
5) The mining method causing development of high value of stresses.
Coal seam prone to bump:
During the extraction of such seams stress releasing techniques have
been adopted so that the stress accumulated in the pillars get released
and the chance of bump gets reduced. After adoption of this technique
artificial supports and stowing operations have to be started with the
extraction of pillars. Care must be taken to see that less number of men
should be present at face.
Extraction of pillar has been carried out using mechanised method like
Longwall mining, Continuous mining system.
Such type of seams are adjoining to existing fire area. The safe and
economic extraction of such seams are quite necessary. For the purpose
the seam has to be separated from fire area by erecting thick concrete
wall so as to cut off the seam from the fire. The pillars developed have to
be white washed at regular intervals and any symptoms of spontaneous
heating has to be monitored constantly to avoid any chance of fire in the
panel. The extraction of coal is carried out using cutter loader
machineries like shearer, coal plough, continuous miner etc. This gives a
rapid rate of extraction of coal and results in less chance of heating or
fire.
Besides this adequate ventilation has to be provided to extract the heat
from the panel. Arrangement of fire fighting equipments have to be
made in the mine. Rescue trained persons are asked to be in alert mode.
Life saving jackets, self – rescuer etc has to be carried out by
supervisory staffs.
At least two escape routes have to be driven from panel to safe place or
surface.
IRREGULAR COAL SEAMS:-
Due to geological or tectonic causes coal seams gets spreaded in an
irregular manner. This means there is abrupt variation in the thickness of
coal seam. Such seams become difficult to extract using the available
conventional methods owing to development and driving of pillars,
roadways, panel etc. Such type of pillars can be extracted in parts using
the following methods:
In – situ gassification
In – situ leaching
Hydraulic mining
In in – situ gassification the vertical holes are drilled from surface to
coal seam. Through these holes super heated steam is sent which react
with coal seam producing water gas or coal gas. These gases get
withdrawn through holes using suction pump.
In in – situ leaching bacteria are sent to coal seam and left for one to two
years. These bacteria causes the production of coal gas by decomposing
the same.
In hydraulic mining coal is broken using high pressure water jets and
broken coal is transported and dewatered.
Coal seams of degree 2 and degree 3 gassiness is extracted using Bord
and Pillar or Longwall method.
In bord and pillar method coal pillars are developed in panels and coal is
extracted either by solid blasting or using continuous miners. During
solid blasting proper precautions are taken against burning of gas during
blasting. The amount of explosive in blasthole should not be more than
the prescribed limit. Efficient ventilation is provided in the panel.
In longwall mining cola is extracted by shearer. As this method causes
rapid extraction of coal and ventilation is fast moving the control of
release of gas can be possible.
Contagious seams can be extracted in three possible ways:
• First extraction in the upper seam then followed by the lower seam.
• First extraction in the lower seam then followed by extraction in
upper seam.
• Simultaneous extraction of both the seams
Extraction in the Upper Seam followed by the Extraction in Lower
Seam
The following effects appear if the upper seam is worked prior to the
lower seam:
1. The roof in the upper seam gets settled.
2. The gob of upper seams may get filled with water.