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

Abstract Hard coal mines and mining enterprises involved in hard coal exploitation in the area of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Górnośląskie Zagłębie Węglowe) are characterised by the presence of natural hazards typical of this type of exploitation. These hazards include the risks related to methane, coal dust explosion, endogenous fires, as well as rock burst and caving of roof rocks. The article presents the results of a taxonomic analysis aimed at determining the similarity of hard coal mines and mining enterprises in Poland in terms of the dangerous incidents caused by the risks related to methane, coal dust explosion, endogenous fires, as well as rock burst and caving of roof rocks. The analysis was carried out for the 2008-2018 data and encompassed a total of 26 hard coal mines and mining enterprises located in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin. The analysis was performed using the k-means method of non-hierarchical clustering. The main objective of the article was to determine homogenous groups (clusters) of mines exhibiting the greatest similarity in terms of dangerous incidents caused by the activation of natural hazards in the years 2008-2018. These data can be successfully used for the development of preventive measures and risk analyses for these enterprises.

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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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Effect of mine waters from coal mines of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in the content of Ca and Mg in the catchment of the Upper Odra river

Calcium and Magnesium in Groundwater ◽

10.1201/b17085-14 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 141-146

Keyword(s):

Coal Mines ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Mine Waters ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin ◽

Odra River

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

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12233923 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (23) ◽

pp. 3923

Author(s):

Paweł Sopata ◽

Tomasz Stoch ◽

Artur Wójcik ◽

Dawid Mrocheń

Keyword(s):

Rock Mass ◽

Land Surface ◽

Continuous Monitoring ◽

Geological Structure ◽

Vertical Surface ◽

Coal Basin ◽

Surface Displacements ◽

Upper Silesian Coal Basin ◽

Mining Tremors

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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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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