Report of Investigations 6326: Removing Methane (Degasification) from the Pocahontas No. 4 Coalbed in Southern West Virginia

Details

• Journal Article:
  Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, RI 6326
• Personal Author:
  Merritts, William M. ; Waine, C. R ; Mokwa, L. P. ; Ackerman, M. J.
• Description:
  Tests were conducted in the Pocahontas No. 4 coalbed in southern West Virginia to determine if successful degasification techniques, developed during an earlier study in the Pittsburgh coalbed, would be effective in removing methane from those usually more gaseous coals. Specially designed long-hole drilling equipment and Bureau of Mines continuous recording devices were used to measure the quantity and methane content of the ventilating air during the investigation. Infusions were made with water at normal waterline pressures ranging from 200 to 220 psi or at pump pressures ranging from 400 to 650 psi, Results of the tests showed that methane emissions from free-flow bleeder holes were as much as 131 cfm. Infusions of some of the holes increased the methane emission from other holes and from the exposed coal surfaces near the working areas as much as 1,540 cfm. The methane content in the main return air currents after infusion was reduced more than 86 percent of the amount recorded before tests were made. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Coal Coal Mining Engineering Explosions Methane Mining Occupational Health Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Pipe-flow; Gas-flow; Ducts; Ventilation; Mining; Mine-ventilation; Mineral-industries; Mine-gases; Mining-industry; Methanes; Methane-drainage; Methane-control; Explosive-gases; Explosive-atmospheres; Underground-mining; Coal-mining; Control-technology; Engineering-controls; Explosion-prevention; Explosive-hazards
• Source:
  Pittsburgh, PA: U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Mines, RI 6326, 1963 Jan; :1-39
• Series:
  Mining Publications   ; NIOSH Numbered Publications  
• Subseries:
  Report of Investigations
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Report
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; Pennsylvania ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  PRC - Pittsburgh Research Center
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  44 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20030772
• CAS Registry Number:
  Methane (CAS RN 74-82-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1963
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ad9e15c24b1435fdea07d5bb8143bd29ff4d77ee3aacdadafe5973b3823b0c6f4bd01da52b417795e2da4331055e3e5a3b31600a203ed996ddfbeb9993fcc5cd
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/9209/cdc_9209_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 2.34 MB ]