THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ROCK FRACTURING AND METHANE INFLOW INTO THE DRAINAGE HOLES ON THE BASIS OF COAL MINE MEASUREMENTS

The present paper provides the results of measurements that were carried out in drainage holes in coal mines. The measurements involved determining the distribution of methane supplies into the holes in question, as hole as describing the variability of this parameter as a function of the hole's depth. Another investigated parameter was the fracturing of the rock and its changes during exploitation. The equipment used was an vane probe anemometer and an infrared digital introscope video camera. The measurements - which were conducted in several active drainage boreholes (below depression), ahead of the working longwall - enabled the researchers to identify both the spots of methane release and changes to the fracturing of the rock in relation to the distance to the longwall. Additionally, the changeability of the methane supply was demonstrated, together with the deepening of the rock fracturing conditioned by the decreasing distance between the longwall and a drainage hole. The calculated coefficients of correlation between the parameters describing the fracturing and the extent of methane inflow into the holes (established to be 0.90-0.99) prove that the measured factors are strongly interrelated.