An Attempt to Develop A Technology for Extraction of Locked-up Coal From Underground Mines Using Artificial Pillars

摘要

In most of the coalfields of India, there are many mines where the seams are only developed but the pillars could not be extracted due to different constraints like presence of delicate surface/sub-surface structures, chances of subsidence, forest area, scarcity of suitable filling material, environmental issues, etc. This may lead to spontaneous heating and fire, accumulation of poisonous gases, severe stability issues leading to unsafe workings and environmental problems. There is a need to extract these coal reserves under different constraints to meet the growing demandofcoal in the country. It may not be possible to recover this coal in future if an early action is not initiated for development of a suitable technology and may be lost forever. Use of artificial pillar is may be an option to recover this coal locked-up in pillars under the various constraints. In this paper, a review of global scenario of use of artificial pillars in underground mines have been presented along with one of the proposed methodologies of extraction of these locked-up coal using artificial pillars conceived through simulation and laboratory study.