Improving methane extraction ratio in highly gassy coal seam group by increasing longwall panel width

Coal mine methane (CMM) extraction is widely practiced in Chinese coal mines as a strategy to enhance coal mine safety and diversify energy resources. One of the main issues with current CMM extraction technologies is low methane extraction ratios. This is particularly the case in mining highly gassy coal seam group. To address the issue, this paper introduces a practical approach to improve the methane extraction ratio by increasing longwall (LW) panel width. The results of a field trial in Yangquan show that the methane extraction ratio increases by 45 % and coal production rate increases by 30 % with an increased LW panel width.