Land Surface Subsidence Due to Mining-Induced Tremors in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland)—Case Study

Seismic phenomena threaten land-based buildings, structures, and infrastructure and can transform land topography. There are two basic types of seismic phenomena, namely, tectonic and anthropogenic, which differ mainly in epicenter depth, surface impact range, and magnitude (energy). This article shows how a land surface was changed by a series of seven rock mass tremors of magnitude ML = 2.3–2.6 in March–May 2017. Their immediate cause was the “momentary” acceleration of void clamping, which was activated by local and short-term seismic phenomena caused by human activity. The induced seismic events resulted from the geological structure of the rock mass, which in the specific region of examination was classified as being highly prone to mining tremors. The authors focused on describing vertical surface displacements in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in the south of Poland. The surface deformations were identified using DInSAR technology, which allows quasi-continuous monitoring of large areas of land surface. The present research used freely available data from the Copernicus Program and seismic data from the European Plate Observing System.

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Methane emissions against the background of natural and mining conditions in the Budryk and Pniówek mines in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland)

Environmental Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/s12665-021-10063-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (22) ◽

Author(s):

Marcin Dreger ◽

Sławomir Kędzior

Keyword(s):

Methane Emissions ◽

Geological Structure ◽

Methane Content ◽

Coal Extraction ◽

Hard Coal ◽

Coal Seams ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Related Factors ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin ◽

Mining Conditions

AbstractThe paper presents the variability of hard coal output, methane content and methane emissions into coal workings and into the atmosphere from the two most methane-gassy coal mines in Poland. The Budryk mine is one of the youngest mines in Poland, but it is the most methane-gassy as well. In 2016, the total CH4 emissions exceed 140 million of m3. This large increase in methane emissions to mine workings is primarily related to the increase in the depth of coal extraction (up to 1290 m) and, consequently, the rapid increase in the methane content in coal seams (up to 10–12 m3/Mg coaldaf). On the other hand, in the Pniówek mine, methane emission was the highest at the beginning of the study period (1986–1991). During the following years, emission decreased to the values of less than 140 million of m3, which were still one of the largest amounts of emitted methane in the entire Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The coexistence of natural factors, such as the geological structure and gas distribution, as well as mining-related factors, i.e. the depth of mining, the intensity of coal extraction determines the temporal variability of methane emissions in the studied mines.

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HYDROGEOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS AS A TOOL FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE FREE SPACE CAPACITY IN ROCK MASS, GOAFS AND MINING EXCAVATIONS IN COAL MINES IN UPPER SILESIAN COAL BASIN

18th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM2018, Science and Technologies in Geology, Exploration and Minining ◽

10.5593/sgem2018/1.2/s02.045 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Przemyslaw Bukowski

Keyword(s):

Rock Mass ◽

Research Methods ◽

Free Space ◽

Coal Mines ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin ◽

Space Capacity

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Investigation into the Temperature Fields of the Carboniferous Rock Mass in the Czech Part of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin

Procedia Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.proeng.2017.05.221 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 191 ◽

pp. 583-590

Author(s):

Vlastimil Kajzar ◽

Zdeněk Pavelek ◽

Petr Koníček ◽

Radovan Kukutsch

Keyword(s):

Rock Mass ◽

Temperature Fields ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin ◽

Carboniferous Rock

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An Analysis Of The Interaction During Simultaneous Use Of Copper Ore And Salt Deposits In The LGOM Mines With Regard To Displacement And Deformation Of Rock Mass

Archives of Mining Sciences ◽

10.1515/amsc-2015-0035 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 60 (2) ◽

pp. 535-548

Author(s):

Edward Popiołek ◽

Zdzisław Kłeczek ◽

Zygmunt Niedojadło ◽

Ryszard Hejmanowski ◽

Wojciech Skobliński ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rock Mass ◽

Land Surface ◽

Mineral Resources ◽

Theoretical Models ◽

Mining District ◽

Copper Ore ◽

Rock Mass Deformation ◽

Mining Works ◽

Mining Tremors ◽

The Impact

Abstract Excavation of the two bedded deposits of mineral resources in a small vertical distance may cause additional increased mining risks (rock mass deformation, rock bursts and mining tremors, threat to land surface). This paper considers the impact of excavation of the copper ore deposit on the bed of rock salt located above it and the opposite, in terms of displacements and deformations. We used the theoretical models of processes verified by previous in situ observations in the mines of the Legnica-Głogów Copper Mining District. We analysed the potential for reducing the risks, among others, through coordination of mining works.

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Changes in the methane emissions and hard coal output in the Brzeszcze mine (the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland)

Geology, Geophysics and Environment ◽

10.7494/geol.2020.46.2.159 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (2) ◽

pp. 159

Author(s):

Marcin Dreger

Keyword(s):

Methane Concentration ◽

Mine Ventilation ◽

Methane Emissions ◽

Geological Structure ◽

Coal Extraction ◽

Hard Coal ◽

Ch4 Emission ◽

Coal Deposit ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin

The paper presents the variability of methane emissions in mining excavations in the Brzeszcze mine (Poland) against the background of hard coal output, geological and mining factors. The geological structure of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) is very diverse. The Brzeszcze coal deposit is located close to the large and permeable Jawiszowice fault which increases the methane hazard during mining activities performed close to this fault. The overall decrease in hard coal output (1988–2018) has coincided with a rapid increase in methane emissions (1997–2018). Throughout the study period, hard coal output decreased threefold from 3.9 to 1.2 million Mg annually. Coal extraction in high methane content beds (e.g. 510, 405/1, 364, 352) increases the total methane (CH4) emission into mining excavations, aggravating the methane hazard due to the high explosiveness of the gas. To protect miners, coal workings need to be continuously ventilated, taking the harmful gas out of the mine (ventilation air methane emission) or methane needs to be captured by underground methane systems (degassing). Every year, over 34 million m3 of CH4 is captured by the drainage systems and over 70 million m3 CH4 (average) is discharged through ventilation shafts into the atmosphere. The presence of the large, permeable regional dislocation, the Jawiszowice fault zone, shaped the methane concentration in the fault vicinity, when the highest methane emissions during coal mining was studied.

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Observation of the Mining-Induced Surface Deformations Using C and L SAR Bands: The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland) Case Study

Lecture Notes in Earth System Sciences - Mathematics of Planet Earth ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-32408-6_57 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 249-255

Author(s):

Marek Graniczny ◽

Zbigniew Kowalski ◽

Anna Pi a̧ tkowska ◽

Maria Przyłucka

Keyword(s):

Coal Basin ◽

Surface Deformations ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin

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Resource Assessment and Numerical Modeling of CBM Extraction in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland

Energies ◽

10.3390/en13092153 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

pp. 2153 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Jarosław Chećko ◽

Tomasz Urych ◽

Małgorzata Magdziarczyk ◽

Adam Smoliński

Keyword(s):

Numerical Modeling ◽

Rock Mass ◽

Methane Production ◽

3D Model ◽

Resource Assessment ◽

Volumetric Method ◽

Coal Seams ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin ◽

Reservoir Simulator

The paper presents the assessment of the resources of methane considered as the main mineral in the most prospective selected areas of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland in the region of undeveloped deposits. The methane resources were estimated by means of a volumetric method at three depth levels, 1000, 1250, and 1500 m. A part of the Studzienice deposit comprising three coal seams, 333, 336, and 337, located in a methane zone was chosen for the numerical modeling of simulated methane production. The presented static 3D model has been developed using Petrel Schlumberger software. The total resources of methane in the area amount to approximately 446.5 million of Nm3. Numerical simulations of methane production from the selected coal seams with hydraulic fracturing were conducted by means of Schlumberger ECLIPSE reservoir simulator. Based on the simulations, it was concluded that, in the first six months of the simulations, water is produced from the seams, which is connected with the decrease in the rock mass pressure. The process prompts methane desorption from the coal matrix, which in turn results in a total methane production of 76.2 million of Nm3 within the five-year period of the simulations, which constitutes about 17% of total methane resources (GIP). The paper also presents a detailed analysis of Polish legislation concerning the activities aimed at prospecting, exploring, and extracting the deposits of hydrocarbons.

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Numerical Modeling of CO2 Migration in Saline Aquifers of Selected Areas in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in Poland

Energies ◽

10.3390/en12163093 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 12 (16) ◽

pp. 3093 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tomasz Urych ◽

Adam Smoliński

Keyword(s):

Rock Mass ◽

Co2 Storage ◽

Regional Scale ◽

Simulation Models ◽

Saline Aquifers ◽

Storage Process ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Hydrogeological Parameters ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin ◽

Geological Formations

Determining the characteristics of the dynamic behavior of carbon dioxide in a rock mass is a stage in the process of assessing a potential CO2 storage reservoir. The aim of this study was to analyze the process of CO2 storage in saline aquifers of the selected regions of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in Poland. The construction of dynamic simulation models was based on static models of real deposit structures developed on a regional scale. Different simulation variants of the CO2 storage process were adopted, varying in terms of injection efficiency and duration of individual simulation phases. The analysis examined the influence of the degree of hydrodynamic openness of the structure on the CO2 storage process, in each of the variants. The results of numerical simulations showed that among the three analyzed geological formations, the Dębowiec formation is the most prospective for potential CO2 storage and is characterized by the most favorable geological and hydrogeological parameters. In the best variant of the simulation, in which the safety of CO2 storage in the rock mass was taken into account, the total amount of CO2 injected in a single directional well was approximately 8.54 million Mg of CO2 during 25 years of injection.

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Primary Rock Temperature Fields in Czech and Polish Part of the Upper of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin / Pole temperatury pierwotnej skał w czeskiej i polskiej części górnośląskiego okręgu węglowego

Archives of Mining Sciences ◽

10.2478/amsc-2013-0004 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 58 (1) ◽

pp. 55-72

Author(s):

Libor Doležal ◽

Józef Knechtel ◽

Antonín Taufer ◽

Ludvík Trávníček

Keyword(s):

Temperature Field ◽

Rock Mass ◽

Complex Analysis ◽

Decisive Role ◽

Temperature Fields ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Upper Silesia ◽

The Earth ◽

Rock Temperature ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin

Knowledge of the temperature of rock mass is no doubt of substantial meaning, both for the solution of economicaly demanding protection of mine workers in difficult microclimatic environment and for perspective usage of geothermal energy from the depth of the earth. International cooperation of our and Polish specialists is in this sense more than welcome, also because the exploitation of coal seams takes place in the same Upper Silesia rock coal basin. This profesional article is concentrated on complex analysis of temperature fields of the Ostrava- Karviná district, mainly from results of thermologging measurements in geological survey boreholes both on surface and underground, and also from the actual temperature measurements in the coal mines. One chapter of this article describes the original approach to the survey of temperature field and its prognosis in the Polish part of the Upper Silesia coal basin by a researcher from GIG Katowice. The most suitable method of analysis of primary temperature field seemed the preparation of isocurves of temperature(isothermal lines) for the existing mine working areas, even if the method of obtaining them was different. The Czech method is based on determination of the quantitative dependence of temperature on the rock mass depth from the abovementioned measurement results, calculation of geothermal gradients and the following recalculation of real temperature values for various depth levels. Then isothermal lines for these depth levels are created together with colour distingushing of their value limits. The Polish method is sufficiently described in a dedicated chapter. The conclusion of the article underlines the decisive role of the structuraly tectonic composition of the rock mass on the temperature field in the long term thermic evolution of the Earth.

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