From U.S. Coal Mines in

Methane Emission

From U.S. Coal Mines in 1973, A Survey

A Supplement to IC 8558

Information Circular 8659

Methane Emission From U.S. Coal Mines in 1973, A Survey

A Supplement to IC 8558

By M.C. Irani, P. W. Jeran, and Maurice Deul

Pittsburgh Mining and Safety Research Center, Pittsburgh, Pa.

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary Jack W. Carlson, Assistant Secretary-Energy and Minerals

BUREAU OF MINES Thomas V. Falkie, Director

This publication has been cataloged as follows :

7

Irani, Meherwan C Methane e m i s s i o n from U.S. c o a l mines in 1973, a survey:

a supplement t o IC 8558, by M. C. Irani, P. W. Jeran, and

Maurice Deul. [washington] U S . Bureau of Mines [1974]

47 p. tables. (U.S. Bureau of Mines. Information circular 8659)

Includes bibliography. 1. Coal mines and mining-U.S. 2. Mine g a s e s . I. U.S. Bureau of Mines. 11. Jeran, P a u l W., jt. auth. 111. Deul, Maurice, jt. auth. IV. Title. (Series)

TN23.U71 no. 8659 622.061 73

U.S. Dept. of t h e Int. Library

I

C ONTE NT S

Page

Abstract .............................................................. 1 Introduction............................................................ 1 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Data sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Methane i n coalbeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Presentation of the data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Discussion ............................................................... 4 References ............................................................... 5

.- - Appendix A C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of U.S. c o a l mines producing over 1 MM f t 3 /d

of methane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Appendix B.--Measured methane emission from c o a l mines of the United

S t a t e s with an emission r a t e of a t l e a s t 100.000 f t 3 / d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Appendix C.--Methane emission i n r e l a t i o n t o counties from mines

emitting a t l e a s t 100,000 f t 3 /d from each bed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Appendix D.--Methane emission from mines i n coalbeds with t o t a l mine

emissions i n excess of 1 MM f t 3 / d . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

METHANE EMISSION FROM U.S. C O A L MINES IN 1973, A SURVEY A Supplement to IC 8558

by Ma C. Irani, 1 P. W. J e r ~ n ,a~nd Maurice Deul3

ABSTRACT

his Bureau of Mines survey of methane emissions i n d i c a t e s t h a t t o t a l

d a i l y emissions have d e c l i n e d from 227 MM f t 3 i n 1971 t o 214.7 MM f t 3 i n 1973. The h i g h e s t average d a i l y emissions i n m i l l i o n c u b i c f e e t per day observed i n U.S. bituminous c o a l mines were, i n d e c r e a s i n g o r d e r , Monongalia County,

W . Va. , 40.7 ; Marion County, W . Va. , 23.1 ; Buchanan County, Va. , 22.1;

Washington County, Pa., 12.4; Greene County, P a . , 11.7; McDowell County,

W . Va. , 11.4; Cambria County, P a . , 9 . 8 ; J e f f e r s o n County, Ala. , 9.5; Wyoming

County, W. Va., 6.0; Marshall County, W. Va., 4.8; and Indiana County, Pa., 4.8.

INTRODUCTION

The presence of methane i n t h e a i r of c o a l mines c o n s t i t u t e s a n e x p l o s i o n

hazard w i t h which the Bureau of Mines has been concerned s i n c e i t s e s t a b l i s h -

ment i n 1910. Darton

r e p o r t e d on t h e occurrence of e x p l o s i v e gases i n

c o a l mines, based on a s t u d y begun i n 1907 under t h e s u p e r v i s i o n of J . A .

Holmes , who subsequently became t h e f i r s t d i r e c t o r of t h e Bureau of Mines.

H i s data were obtained from the a n t h r a c i t e f i e l d s i n Pennsylvania and the

s o u t h e r n bituminous f i e l d s i n I l l i n o i s . His s p e c i f i c o b j e c t i v e was " t o o b t a i n

." information on t h e o r i g i n of t h e inflammable gases i n c o a l and the c o n d i t i o n s

under which they occur

I n recent years the Bureau has been conducting a vigorous and increasingly comprehensive methane c o n t r o l r e s e a r c h program. The need f o r t h i s program i s evidenced by the f a c t t h a t while c o a l mine f a t a l i t i e s were decreasing i n the y e a r s from 1965 t o 1970, t h e number of f a t a l i t i e s due t o i g n i t i o n s and explo-

s i o n s i n underground c o a l mines was i n c r e a s i n g ( 2 ) . This i s a t t r i b u t e d l a r g e l y

t o the f a c t t h a t deeper coalbeds were being mined a t f a s t e r r a t e s and t h a t more methane was emitted under t h e s e condtions.

lMining engineer. 2~eologist. 3 ~ u p e r v i s o r yg e o l o g i s t . 4 ~ n d e r l i n e dnumbers i n parentheses r e f e r s t o the l i s t of r e f e r e n c e s preceding

the appendixes.

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