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Characterization and Quantification of Mining-Induced Fractures in Overlying Strata: Implications for Coalbed Methane Drainage

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Abstract

Coalbed methane (CBM) production in the overlying strata of coal reservoirs is often hampered by the unknown distribution of the mining-induced fractures. Mining-induced fractures are CBM migration pathways in the fractured overlying strata, and the excavation of coal seams within a mine causes the CBM in adjacent coal seams to flow into the overlying strata. The mining-induced fracture field in the overlying strata is the best place from which this CBM is drained. Here, to better understand the distributions of vertical and horizontal fractures caused by excavation, we propose a novel approach to quantify the dimensions of vertical and horizontal fractures in fractured zones. In addition, we demonstrate that there are negligible changes in the dimensions of horizontal fractures and great changes in the dimensions of vertical fractures when there is an increase in the height of the fractured zone. We further demonstrate that mining-induced angles mainly concentrate on 0°–10°, 50°–70°, 110°–120° and 170°–180°, and larger width fractures exist in both sides and top due to the de-stressed effect and fractures in the middle of model close under mining-induced stress. The approach described here could be used to improve the accuracy of cross-measure borehole positioning and the efficiency of CBM drainage.

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Acknowledgments

This work is financially supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project of China (Grant No. 2016ZX05043005), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51674050), and Chongqing science and technology innovation leader talent support program (CSTCCXLJRC201911), which are gratefully acknowledged. The authors would like to thank Dr. Zou Quanle and their colleagues for their assistance during the physical modeling and data analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Coal Mine Disaster Dynamics and Control, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Bichuan Zhang, Yunpei Liang & Quanle Zou

  2. College of Resources and Safety, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Bichuan Zhang, Yunpei Liang & Quanle Zou

  3. Gas Research Branch, China Coal Technology Engineering Group Chongqing Research Institute, Chongqing, 400037, China

    Haitao Sun & Kequan Wang

  4. State Key Laboratory of the Gas Disaster Detecting Preventing and Emergency Controlling, Chongqing, 400037, China

    Haitao Sun & Kequan Wang

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  1. Bichuan Zhang
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  2. Haitao Sun
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  3. Yunpei Liang
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  4. Kequan Wang
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  5. Quanle Zou
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Correspondence to Haitao Sun or Yunpei Liang.

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Zhang, B., Sun, H., Liang, Y. et al. Characterization and Quantification of Mining-Induced Fractures in Overlying Strata: Implications for Coalbed Methane Drainage. Nat Resour Res 29, 2467–2480 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-019-09600-7

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