Combating the effects of methane accumulations and reducing the impact on the environment

Abstract

Methane gas accompanies all coal deposits. Methane gas was formed over the years through the process of anaerobic transformation of plant material, at very high temperatures and pressures without the supply of oxygen. The extractive industry is characterized by specific working conditions imposed by the natural peculiarities as well as by the character of the production process. The ventilation of mining operations is carried out mechanically, by upward air currents, under the depression created by fans mounted at of the shafts. With the expansion of mining operations horizontally and their descent vertically, the regime of gas releases increased and the methods of combating methane solely by the ventilation system became difficult. Capturing and draining methane on the surface using central degassing stations has proven to be an effective means of combating gases. Methane released into the atmosphere has a double ecological impact, it participates in the destruction of the ozone layer and accentuates the greenhouse effect.