ArticlePDF Available

Combined Method of Coal Mining in the Opening of Shallow Layers as a Direction of Innovative Development of Geotechnology

Authors:
T.A. Tyuleneva at Kuzbass State Technical University
T.A. Tyuleneva
Roman Shishkov
Roman Shishkov
Roman Shishkov
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Elena Kucherova
Elena Kucherova
Elena Kucherova
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Marat Moldazhanov at Alikhan Bokeikhan University
Marat Moldazhanov
  • Alikhan Bokeikhan University
Download full-text PDF
Read full-text
Download citation

Abstract and Figures

In recent years, there has been a decline in the efficiency of coal mining by traditional methods. On the one hand, the volume of coal outside the contour of the cut, which is economically impractical for open-pit mining, is increasing. On the other hand, when using underground geotechnology, the cost of production exceeds the cost of performing mining operations using open geotechnology, this is due to differences in the factors of operation of the open pit and the mine. This circumstance determines the use of open-underground technology for mining coal reserves outside the contour of the open pit as an actual and promising direction. This article describes a methodological approach based on the use of technological schemes for the preparation and treatment of reserves of powerful shallow coal seams, the justification of the parameters of combined geotechnology with a coordinated and balanced development of open and open-underground mining operations with the distribution of reserves for open and open-underground mining of coal reserves beyond the limit contour of the open pit, the preparation of excavation sites directly from its workings and the coordination of production capacity and the speed of their development. Its application will increase the production capacity of the coal mining complex without additional environmental burden and will provide an increased return on investment.
Figures - available via license: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
Content may be subject to copyright.
Available via license: CC BY 4.0
Content may be subject to copyright.
Combined Method of Coal Mining in the
Opening of Shallow Layers as a Direction of
Innovative Development of Geotechnology
Tatiana Tyuleneva1
*
, Roman Shishkov2, Elena Kucherova1, and Marat Moldazhanov3
1T.F. Gorbachev Kuzbass State Technical University, Department of Management Accounting and
Analysis, 650000 Kemerovo, 28 Vesennya st., Russian Federation
2Mining Institute of The Federal Research Center of Coal and Coal-Chemistry of Siberian Branch of
the Russian Academy of Sciences, 650000 Kemerovo, 18 Sovyetsky av., Russian Federation
3Kazakh Humanitarian-Law Innovative University, Department of Finance and Accounting, 11
Mangilik El st., Semey, East Kazakhstan region, 071400, Republic of Kazakhstan
Abstract. In recent years, there has been a decline in the efficiency of
coal mining by traditional methods. On the one hand, the volume of coal
outside the contour of the cut, which is economically impractical for open-
pit mining, is increasing. On the other hand, when using underground
geotechnology, the cost of production exceeds the cost of performing
mining operations using open geotechnology, this is due to differences in
the factors of operation of the open pit and the mine. This circumstance
determines the use of open-underground technology for mining coal
reserves outside the contour of the open pit as an actual and promising
direction. This article describes a methodological approach based on the
use of technological schemes for the preparation and treatment of reserves
of powerful shallow coal seams, the justification of the parameters of
combined geotechnology with a coordinated and balanced development of
open and open-underground mining operations with the distribution of
reserves for open and open-underground mining of coal reserves beyond
the limit contour of the open pit, the preparation of excavation sites
directly from its workings and the coordination of production capacity and
the speed of their development. Its application will increase the production
capacity of the coal mining complex without additional environmental
burden and will provide an increased return on investment.
1 Introduction
To date, coal mining enterprises with an open-pit mining method are experiencing a
decrease in the volume of minerals suitable for extraction by traditional methods. As the
research results show, the volume of coal remaining outside the contour of the cut and
economically impractical for open-pit mining is increasing. When using underground
geotechnology of coal mining, the costs of performing these works exceed the costs of
mining using open geotechnology, this is due to differences in the factors of operation of
*
Corresponding author: kta.bua@kuzstu.ru
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf /202131501006
E3S Web of Conferences 315, 01006 (2021)
VIth International Innovative Mining Symposium
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
the section and the mine, the main of which include the high cost of opening and preparing
the mine fields, transportation, ventilation and drainage. In connection with the above, the
use of open-underground technology for mining coal reserves outside the contour of the
section is a promising direction [1-3]. The problem of improving the open-pit mining
method in the mining region, which is Kuzbass, is also consistent with the provisions of the
energy strategy until 2035, and therefore is very relevant.
2 Theory of Experimental Research
In the conditions of the retiring capacities of the existing coal mines, the transition to deep
horizons of work, it seems promising to work out coal reserves beyond the contour of the
section using underground geotechnology. Scientific research [4-8] describes methods for
substantiating technological solutions and parameters of underground and combined
development of coal and ore deposits, increasing the production capacity of mining
enterprises, their technical re-equipment and production with a full technological cycle of
integrated development and preservation of the subsurface. The mining system is
interpreted as a complex of technological systems of mining and production facilities
associated with them in connection with the developed subsurface areas; their
classification, used in the design of mining operations, makes it possible to choose a
rational method of field development, taking into account mining and geological
conditions. The results of the research confirmed that the combination of open-pit and
underground coal mining technologies within the overall infrastructure will ensure a longer
life of the coal mining enterprise and increase the degree of completeness of the field
development. The main disadvantages of the above-mentioned open-underground methods
are the insufficient intensity of the development of the coal deposit, due to the gradual
transition from open to open-underground and underground mining, the complex structure
of the «mine – block» system used in underground mining, which must be reoriented to
open-underground technology, a long period of land reclamation, the need for consistent
laying of trenches, which increases the period of development of the field, a large number
of capital mining operations.
The use of combined methods of field development is traditionally accompanied by
additional difficulties in the implementation of cleaning operations at the mine, as well as
coal excavation work at the mine. These include a decrease in the strength and stability of
the sides of the section due to the presence of underground mine workings, an increase in
coal losses due to a large number of workings simultaneously carried out in the quarry
massif, special, increased, industrial safety and labor protection requirements due to the use
of heavy equipment by the section over the emptied underground mine workings. Of
course, the combined development has a number of advantages: it reduces the duration of
construction of structures for the implementation of underground or open-pit technologies,
and increases the intensity of mining areas of the field, and reduces transportation costs, in
addition, the development of reserves remaining in the increasing volume of the coal mine
pillar, makes it possible to increase the completeness of the extraction of reserves from the
subsurface areas and at the same time increase the life of the coal mining enterprise. To
increase the efficiency of the open-pit mining methods implemented, it is necessary to
ensure a balance and maximize the production capacity of the mine and the section, as well
as the uniformity of the development of mining operations during the implementation of
each of them. Only under such conditions, some works will not become an obstacle to the
implementation of subsequent ones, and the subsequent ones, in turn, will not reduce the
load due to the need to wait for third-party works to perform their own. Thus, in order to
solve the problem of optimizing the development of coal mining, it seems appropriate to
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf /202131501006
E3S Web of Conferences 315, 01006 (2021)
VIth International Innovative Mining Symposium
2
switch to a balanced application of combined field development technologies, which
involve the use of the developed section space as the main opening development.
3 Results and Discussion
The study of the advantages and disadvantages of using underground and open-pit coal
mining technologies made it possible to conclude that their integrated application, taking
into account the noted advantages, can serve as a basis for the development of a combined
method of field development. Taking into account the accumulated domestic and foreign
experience of the open-underground system for the development of coal deposits allows us
to obtain the following effects [9-14]: combine underground and open-pit mining
operations within the mining system «cut – mine site»; to balance the duration of mining
and the speed of mining operations in open and underground mining; to ensure the
efficiency of coal mining at modular mine sites; to combine a significant part of the
components of the production infrastructure: power lines, substations, transport routes, etc.;
to increase the life of the mining enterprise.
Combined geotechnology involves a more detailed study of geomechanical processes
due to the interdependence of open-pit and underground mining. The factors that determine
the quantitative values of the geomechanical parameters of open-underground
geotechnology applied to the formation of coal seams are shown in the Fig. 1.
Fig. 1. Factors influencing the geomechanical characteristics of open-underground coal seam mining
technology [15]
Geomechanical parameters of the open-underground method of coal seam mining
Width of the barrier
pillar
The pitch of the immediate
and main roof collapse
The width of the
inter-stage pillar
Stability of the
dredging
Stability of the cut
sides
Gas permeability
Water permeability
Maximum load
stability
Spontaneous combustion of
coal
Output power
Disintegration of the
roof by drilling and
blasting operations
Depth of mining
operations
Coal destruction by
drilling and blasting
operations
Spontaneous combustion
of coal
Depth of mining
operations
Type and
construction of the
roof
Geometric parameters of
working
Seismic action of
drilling and blasting
operations
Width of pillar
Underground workings
Disintegration of a
coal-bearing rock
mass by drilling and
blasting operations
Filtration properties of
the coal-bearing rock
mass
Geometric parameters
Seismic effect of
drilling and blasting
operations
Parameters of the sliding
zone
Factors affecting geomechanical parameters
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf /202131501006
E3S Web of Conferences 315, 01006 (2021)
VIth International Innovative Mining Symposium
3
At the same time, the efficiency of the transition to a combined open-underground
geotechnology is provided by the existing production infrastructure, the possibility of coal
transportation, the use of coal-cutting equipment, the possibility of internal dump formation
with a boundary overburden coefficient. A feature of the geomechanical processes of the
combined method of developing a coal deposit is the need to take into account the joint
influence of open and underground work on the stress-strain state of the rock mass. The
combined geotechnology of the work should exclude the impact of the treatment excavation
of the section on underground mining operations, and the target left between the results of
open-pit and underground mining operations should not be in the zone of influence of open-
pit mining on the underground excavation by mine pillars. The main geomechanical
parameters of open-underground geotechnology are the slope angles of the slopes, the size
of the remaining stable pillars, as well as the length, size and spatial location of the mine
workings. The loads acting on pillars for various purposes depend on such geological and
mining factors as the size of the excavation section of the section, the depth of its
development, the physical and mechanical characteristics of the host rocks, etc. In the mine
areas, pillars have a number of additional values, namely, more efficient ventilation of the
excavation pillars, water and gas disposal during the development of lavas on the uprising.
The width of the remaining guard posts located between two parallel preparatory workings
on the side of the planned developed area should not be less than the width of the reference
rock stress zone.
The use of combined methods of field development is traditionally accompanied by
additional difficulties in the implementation of cleaning operations at the mine, as well as
coal excavation work at the mine. These include a decrease in the strength and stability of
the sides of the section due to the presence of underground mine workings, an increase in
coal losses due to a large number of workings simultaneously carried out in the quarry
mass, special, increased, industrial safety and labor protection requirements due to the use
of heavy equipment by the section over the emptied underground mine workings. Of
course, the combined development has a number of advantages: it reduces the duration of
construction of structures for the implementation of underground or open-pit technologies,
and increases the intensity of mining areas of the field, and reduces transportation costs, in
addition, the development of reserves remaining in the increasing volume of pillar coal
mines, makes it possible to increase the completeness of the extraction of reserves from the
subsurface areas and at the same time increase the life of the coal mining enterprise. To
increase the efficiency of the open-pit mining methods implemented, it is necessary to
ensure a balance and maximize the production capacity of the mine and the section, as well
as the uniformity of the development of mining operations during the implementation of
each of them. Only under such conditions, some works will not become an obstacle to the
implementation of subsequent ones, and the subsequent ones, in turn, will not reduce the
load due to the need to wait for third-party works to perform their own. Thus, in order to
solve the problem of optimizing the development of coal mining, it seems appropriate to
switch to a balanced application of combined field development technologies, which
involve the use of the developed section space as the main opening development.
Due to the fact that the opening mining and capital workings in the modular mine
sections were not used, there was a four-fold saving in the cost of opening and preparation
compared to the classical method. The positive economic effect of using the proposed
method is expressed in a reduction in production costs (the option after the implementation
of design solutions compared to the basic option, Table 1). In addition, when using this
method, due to a reduction in the time spent on construction, an increase in the length of the
excavation pillars and the conduct of concentrated preparatory work on site workings,
underground mining of open-pit mine sites was reduced by 5 years when reaching
production capacity, almost 2 times greater.
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf /202131501006
E3S Web of Conferences 315, 01006 (2021)
VIth International Innovative Mining Symposium
4
Table 1. Comparison of key indicators before and after the implementation of project solutions [15]
Activity
After the
implementation
of design
solutions
Before
implementing
design
solutions
Deviation
in
amount
in
percentage
Overburden and preparatory work,
mln rubles
356.6
1517.4
-1160.8
-76.5
Maintenance of mine workings,
mln rubles
17.8
75.9
-58.1
-76.55
Electricity costs, mln rubles
77.7
194.5
-116.8
-60.05
Production capacity, mln tons
8
5
+3
+60
Calculation horizon, years
5.6
11
-5.4
-49.09
4 Conclusion
A method based on the use of rational technological schemes for the preparation and
treatment of reserves of powerful shallow coal seams, justification of the parameters of
combined geotechnology with a coordinated and balanced development of open and open-
underground mining operations, characterized by a rational distribution of reserves for open
and open-underground mining of coal reserves beyond the limit contour of the cut with the
preparation of excavation sites directly from its workings, while coordinating the
production capacity and development rates of open and open-underground work, ensuring
the specified terms of timely repayment of underground workings for the safe internal
dumping of overburden in the developed space of the section.
The method allows the use of reserves with increased environmental safety due to the
use of less land capacity, since a balanced development will allow to work out reserves at a
time, without leaving the coal seam behind the contour of the working side of the section.
As a result, the opportunities for open-pit mining in the combined development system are
expanded by eliminating the need for a single trench, as a result of the balance of
production capacities of open-pit and underground mining with the calculation of the
division of total reserves in the boundary of the mining allotment for open -pit mining. As a
result, the coal mine will be able to use its resources more efficiently, together with rational
underground mining. When using the described method, the production capacity of the coal
mining complex increases without exaggerating the load on the environment. Using the
adjacent infrastructure of the section from the point of view of underground mining, an
increased return on investment is predicted, due to the exclusion of capital workings, which
occupy a significant share in the amount of the component of the cost of underground
mining (air supply, drainage, maintenance, capital investment for conducting).
References
1. V. Mikhailov, V. Karasev and G. Mikhailov, E3S Web of Conf., 41, 02015 (2018)
2. T. Tyuleneva and M. Moldazhanov, E3S Web of Conf., 174, 04061 (2020)
3. T. Tyuleneva, Proceedings of the 9th China-Russia Symposium "Coal in the 21st
Century: Mining, Intelligent Equipment and Environment Protection", 352 (2018)
4. L. V. Kuznetsova and B. A. Anfyorov, IOP Conf. Series: Earth and Environmental
Science, 012003 (2019)
5. D. Kaplunova, D. Bekbergenov and G. Djangulova, E3S Web of Conf., 01015 (2018)
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf /202131501006
E3S Web of Conferences 315, 01006 (2021)
VIth International Innovative Mining Symposium
5
6. V. A. Fedorin, V. Shakhmatov, B.A. Anferov and L.V. Kuznetsova, IOP Conf. Series:
Earth and Environmental Science, 012015 (2018)
7. V. A. Fedorin, V. Ya. Shakhmatov and A. Yu. Mikhailov, Vestn Nauch. Tsentra
VostNII po Prom. Ekol. Bezop., 1, 32 (2018)
8. I. V. Sokolov, A. A. Smirnov and Y. G. Antipin, Journal of Mining Science, 54, 226
(2018)
9. T. V. Kiseleva, V. G. Mikhailov and G. S. Mikhailov, IOP Conf. Series: Earth and
Env. Sci., 84, 012044 (2017)
10. T. Tyuleneva, E3S Web of Conf., 174, 04019 (2020)
11. L. Krupnik, Y. Shaposhnik, A. Konurin, S. Shaposhnik and D. Shokarev, Mining of
Mineral Deposits, 12, 4, 108 (2018)
12. A. M. Mazhitov, S. A. Korneev, I. A. Pytalev and T. S. Kravchuk, IOP Conf. Series:
Earth and Environmental Science, 052017 (2017)
13. A. N. Rakhmangulov, K. V. Burmistrov and N. A. Osintsev, Sustainability, 13, 3,
1101 (2021)
14. D. Kaplunov, M. Rylnikova, D. Radchenko, E3S Web of Conf., 04002 (2018)
15. R. I. Shishkov and V. A. Fedorin, E3S Web of Conf., 174, 02013 (2020)
https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf /202131501006
E3S Web of Conferences 315, 01006 (2021)
VIth International Innovative Mining Symposium
6
ResearchGate has not been able to resolve any citations for this publication.
Sustainable Open Pit Mining and Technical Systems: Concept, Principles, and Indicators
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2021
Sustainability of the open pit mining and technical system (MTS) is one of its key goals in the changing conditions of the external and internal environment. All MTS’s subsystems must function in concert to achieve this goal. The structure of the MTS is formed by many subsystems and elements, which are evaluated by a significant number of indicators. A comprehensive assessment of the MTS for all possible indicators is a complex and time-consuming task. However, each subsystem and element of the MTS has a different effect on the sustainability of this system. The MTS’s parameters change significantly during transition periods, for example, at a new stage of open-pit mining or when switching to an open-underground method of developing mineral deposits. The MTS’s sustainability declines during the transition periods. Changes in the parameters of technological processes during these periods can have a negative impact on the state of the economic and social subsystems of mining enterprises, as well as on the environment. Ensuring the sustainability of an MTS during transition periods requires the development of new approaches and principles for managing the work of mining enterprises, based on the alignment of economic goals, with goals in the field of ecology and social development. The study substantiates the key role of one of the MTS subsystems—the opening-up of an opencast system (OOS). It is shown that this system has a decisive influence on sustainable functioning and development. The systematization of the principles of sustainable functioning and development of mining enterprises and its systems has been carried out. Four groups of principles are distinguished: system-wide principles of management, principles of development of mining enterprises, principles of MTS development, and principles of the MTS’s subsystem development. The proposed system of principles is based on the idea of a sequential transformation of the subsystems at all stages of design and operation. A feature of the proposal system of principles is the consideration of economic, social, and environmental aspects to ensure the specified parameters for the sustainable functioning and development of mining enterprises. The results of the analysis of the factors of the external and internal environment of the MTS are presented. The parameters and indicators for assessing the sustainability of OOS and MTSs were selected and substantiated. The justified parameters and indicators were ranked using the fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The results of the assessment showed a high convergence of expert opinions on a group of economic parameters, which were rather high in technical and technological parameters. However, there is a divergence of expert opinions on social and environmental parameters. As a result of the study, it was concluded that the current management decisions are aimed at ensuring the economic and technological sustainability of MTS functioning, while achieving the goals of sustainable development of this system is not ensured. The methodology developed and presented in the study can be used to assess the sustainability of the functioning and development of MTSs.
View
Problems and Prospects of Regional Mining Industry Digitalization
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2020
One of the problems of modernizing the mineral resource clusters` socio-economic sphere is to increase the competitiveness of mining enterprises, which can be achieved by reducing costs, improving product quality, and ensuring production safety. The article describes the directions of mining industry digitalization, the advantages of implementing digital technologies in the process of forming the finished products` cost and price, associated with increasing the reality of the resource base, optimizing the cost of materials and equipment, improving the system for predicting production failures, monitoring the implementation of the plan. The risks of using digital technology in mining enterprises due to insufficient automation of production processes, ensuring cybersecurity and staff qualifications are listed. In addition, there is a justification for the existing potential and identified threats, and the technologies used in the implementation of the federal and regional digitalization program or planned for use in the next year by enterprises of the Kuzbass coal mining industry, as well as the problems associated with their implementation are described.
View
The Use of Environmental Taxation Instruments in Order to Ensure Sustainable Development of Mining Region
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2020
One of the problems of mineral resource clusters` sustainable development is the creation of an economic mechanism for environmental management that ensures compliance with the principles of rational resource consumption through the creation of environmental taxation tools. The article describes trends in implementation of sustainable development through environmental taxation: environmental taxes, promotion of rational use of natural resources, application of environmental technologies, support the use of alternative sources of energy, including through the organization of trading quotas on emissions into the environment, and their applicability in Russian Federation and the mining region is evaluated. In addition, a comparative analysis of the dynamics of relative indicators of production activity, negative impact on the environment and costs to eliminate it, carried out in Kemerovo region, and justified the need to use environmental taxation tools to ensure sustainable development of the region.
View
Justification of parameters mining and technological structure of modular mine sites in terms water disposal
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2020
The high cost of any traditional coal mines consists of many factors their operation, one which is basically drainage. In mines and sections Russia, on average, for each ton coal mined, more than 2 m3 water is pumped from mine workings to day surface. For this work, more than 10 thousand pumping units with a total installed capacity about 1 million kW are used at mining enterprises. Therefore, rational design and proper operation, in particular, drainage plants mining enterprises are important technical and economic tasks today and in future, which leads to increased production volumes and a transition to a new stage in development coal industry using new technologies. The application mining technology structure mine sites located on a coal mine is considered. The result is that at design stage it becomes possible to highlight use of water pumping measures only at stage preparatory mine workings, reducing production costs for equipment and its operation, volumetric work, mine workings for water collectors and allocation personnel from drainage site to more significant work . A comparative analysis of two options is given, in terms efficiency wastewater disposal, namely actual situation of a certain period at enterprise SUEK-Kuzbass JSC mine Taldinskaya Zapadnaya-2 and the use mine sites.
View
Combined geotechnology potentials in the process of coal deposits integrated development
Article
Full-text available
  • Nov 2019
Significant coal resources situated in open-pit recovered sides and bottom being non-demanded are considered to be irretrievably lost and written off as losses. Integrated (open and underground) technologies for final extraction of contour reserves applying a highwall miner complex and mobile mechanical equipment which improve coal recovery ratio are introduced in the article.
View
View
View
The new wave of technological innovations for sustainable development of geotechnical systems
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2018
Today the development of information network technologies and the new equipment determine the new strategies in the designing ore deposits exploration with elements of artificial intelligence, software system processing of the geodata, high-precision methods and tools for studying the mineral matter and the structure of mine massifs, renewable energy, and green technologies. In addition, these components are used in the sustainable operations of mine technical systems, for the active expendable of which it is necessary to make a transition to a new technological setup. It is associated with the capabilities of operational synchronous transformation of the taping resources and the adaptation of geotechnologies to specific conditions, to meet the needs of society in georesources.
View
Particularities of solving the problem of sustainable development of chromite underground mining at deep horizons by means of combined geotechnology
Article
Full-text available
  • Jan 2018
The paper covers the particularities of development of Don chromite field and improvement of applied technologies of underground mining using uncontrolled caving. The weakest point of the technology of uncontrolled caving and any other similar structures is mining operations under the caved mass that considerably affects the stability of mine workings and their safety during the whole period of stoping. This issue is one of the most important and urgent, especially at the transition of mining operations to deeper levels where technological particularities of the minefield are getting more complicated. Therefore, the Project Development and Substantiation of Parameters of Combined Geotechnology for Safe and Sustainable Development of Chromite Mineral Resource Mining for underground mining will be a new technological solution ensuring the replacement of exhausted mineral resources in the Republic of Kazakhstan in the conditions of transition of mining operations to deeper levels. Further development at the combined and sequential underground mining operations using the system of uncontrolled caving and the system of horizontal layers with stowing is essential.
View
Substantiation of Protective Cushion Thickness in Mining under Open Pit Bottom with the Caving Methods at Udachnaya Pipe
Article
  • Mar 2018
The results of the research aimed to substantiate parameters of loose ore and rock mass (protective cushion) formed to protect and isolate underground mines from the open pit mine at Udachnaya kimberlite pipe under mining with the caving methods are presented. The thickness of the cushion is determined based on the effect of an impact of caved rocks and the resultant air blast, and is meant to isolate aerodynamically and thermally the open pit and underground mines. The thickness of the protective cushion is calculated with regard to an increase in the depth of mining down to a level of –680 m.
View