ESTIMATING THE METHANE CONTENT OF DEEP DONBASS SHAFTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000600320663-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2011
• Sequence Number: 663
• Publication Date: July 11, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL CONFIDENTIAL.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPOR
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS CD NO
Economic - Coal
Monthly periodical
Moscow
Feb 1949
Russian
THIS 000ONSET CONTAINS INro/NATION AFF!CTII.S THE NATIONAL OIPIISI
OF TNN ONlno STATES WRNIN THE NtANINN OF IIPIONASI ACT SS
S. S. C.. SI ANO SS. AS AINNOIO. ITS TRANINISION ON THE REVELATION
OF ITS CONTINTS IN ANT MANNER TO AN ONAL'THOIIIIO PERSON IN POO?
MINITIO MT LAW. !!PRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PIONIIITIO.
Ugoll, No 2, 1949,
ESTIMATING THE METHANE CONTENT OF DEEP DONBASS SHAFTS
fables are appended-7
r
It is possible to deduce some empirical principles on the probable rate
of methane liberation at deep levels of coal mines on the basis of available
factual data.
It is known that the rate of absolute and relative liberation of mine
methane increases as mining progresses, with the transition to deeper levels
and with increased productivity of the mine. The changes in methane content
which occurred from 1898 to 1941 in coal mines in the Donbass are shown in
Table 1.
The methane content in mines of the Kuzbass increased even more rapidly;
where for an average depth of workings of 100 meters the total liberation of
methane amounted to 30,000 cubic meters per day in 1938, it was 70,000 in
1942, ahd 160,000 in 1946. Judging by preliminary data, the gas content of
Karaganda and Georgia mines is high and it must be expected that, as opera-
tions increase in these regions, the methane content in mines will equal that
now observed in the Donbass and the Kuzbass. The relative methane content in
mines varies in different basins, depending on the depth of operations, as
shown in Table 2.
From the data in Table 3 it can be established that the gas content of
mines increases more or less uniformly with the depth of the mine and that
the methane content of mines at the same level is in most cases of the same
order in different basins. Slight deviations can be explained by a differ-
ence in the gaseousness of the basins and also by a difference in the inves-
tigation methods employed.
DATE OF
INFORMATION 1949
DATE DIST. // Jul 1950
NO. OF PAGES 8
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1 -
CONFIDENTIAL CO~~?~NTIAI
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CONFIDENTIAL
Information collected on the methane content of Donbass mines from 1937 to
1941 made it possible to establish that the methane content increases compara-
tively uniformly at the rate of approximately one cubic meter per ton of daily
output when the depth of operations has been increased by 26 meters. The same
figure for the Kuzbass, judging by the limited data of the upper levels, is ap-
proximately 20 meters. It is 40-45 meters for the Ruhr Basin and 20-30 meters
for Lancashire.
It follows that the concept of a methane content gradient in mines can be
introduced and it can be considered that the methane content in mines, start-
ing at a certain depth (below the zone of gas escape), increases approximately
in. direct proportion to the depth of mining operations, that is:
q equals H- Ho -4- qo
a
where q equals the relative methane content of workings (cubic meters per ton
of daily output) at a depth of H meters
qo equals relative methane content of wcrkings (cubic meters per tons of
daily output) at a depth of Ho meters
a equals methane content gradient meters
cubic meters per ton of daily output
During tests made of the formula in a number of Donbass mines it became
clear that, using average values of methane content derived on the basis of
adequately long observations, results which correspond closely to the given
equation are obtained.
Proportional dependency between the methane content and depth of workings
is established only after a certain depth, since near the surface coal seams
contain either no methane or a very small amount. This zone is called the
zone of gas escape; its lower limit is set at the depth at which methane con-
tent of the workings reaches* .5 cubic meters per ton of daily output, since
there is neither persistence nor uniformity in the liberation of methane in
mines when the methane content is less.
On the basis of this formula and prolonged observations of gas libera-
tion, the methane content of mines in Tsentral'nyy Rayon and in the Stalino-
Makeyevka and Almazno-Mar'yevskiy regions was estimated.
The methane content in mixes in Tsentral'nyy Rayon was studied for 5
years. Ample material from these observations permitted deduction of average
indexes of methane liberation for a number of levels of the largest mines.
Averaged indexes of methane liberation for some mines of the south wall of
the anticline are shown in Table 3.
The data cited indicates that the methane content gradient in mines of
Tsentral'nyy Rayon ranges from 25 to 36 meters and averages approximately 30
meters.
Using data reported on actual methane liberation at the levels being
worked, the depth of the gas escape, and the methane content gradient indi-
cated above, the probable methane content at depths of 1,000 and 1,500 meters
has been calculated for some mines of Tsentral'nyy Rayon according to the
formula proposed above, and is presented in Table 4. It is evident from this
table that the rate of methane liberation reaches 30-35 cubic meters per ton
of daily output in the majority of mines at a depth of 1,000 meters and ap-
proximately 50-55 cubic meters per ton of daily output for mines at a depth
of 1,500 meters.
OnHFt[~E~F!T ~ ~:~.
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t iDEg1 M
These values of probable methane content only apply to average indexes
for a mine at various depths. In individual seams the methane content may be
two or three times as great as these average figures because of special con-
ditions (presence of adjacent unworked seams and interstratification) and in
zones of tectonic disturbances, gas liberation is even greater. It must also
be remembered that sudden ejections of gas have occurred in Tsentral'nyy Ra-
yon. All similar extraordinary ejections of gas can occasionally create high
concentrations of methane not permitted by operational rules. It must be ex-
pected that because of natural and operational conditions it will be necessary
on specific occasions in the future to work seams with a methane content on a
scale of 200 cubic meters per ton of daily output and containing other sections
where the methane content totals 20-30 cubic meters per ton of daily output.
All these circumstances demand planned ventilation of the mine, which permits
flexibility in the redistribution of air currents.
The gassiest area of Stalino-Makeyevka region is the central part which
is bounded on the northwest by a large overthrust. This is the most interest-
ing for estimating the rate of gas liberation in deep mines.
The methane content gradient in this region ranges between 10 and 15 me-
ters for mines of the southwest group (Budennovskiy) and northern group (Shcheg-
lovsko-Chaykinskiy), between 7 and 10 meters for the western group, and between
8 and 12 meters for the Makeyevka group. The depth of the zone of gas escape
is 100-200 meters.
Using methods. indicated above, the probable methane content at depths of
1,000 and x,500 meters was determined for certain important mines of these re-
gions and is shown in Table 5. The data cited indicates that the highest gas
content can be expected in the area of the "Tsentral'no-Zavodskaya" Mine and
Mine imeni Kalinin, i.e., 80-120 cubic meters per ton of daily output at a
depth of 1,000 meters and 130-200 cubic meters per ton of daily output at a
depth of 1,500 meters. Since, according to our proposition, the gas content
is almost, but not quite, directly proportional to the depth, a methane con-
tent of not more than 100 cubic meters per ton of daily output at a depth of
1,000 meters and up to 160 cubic meters per ton of daily output at a depth of
1,500 meters should be assumed in planning ventilation.
Mines of the Makeyevka syncline should have a lower gas content. The
methane content at depths of 1,000 and 1,500 meters in this area probably
amounts to 80 and 140 cubic meters per ton of daily output, respectively. For
deep mines of the Budennovskiy and Shcheglovsko-Chaykinskiy group the methane
content of workings should not exceed 70 cubic meters per ton of daily output
at a depth of 1,000 meters and 110 cubic meters per ton of daily output at a
depth of 1,300 meters.
The probable methane contents cited for deep mines of the Stalino-Makey-
evka region considerably exceed those for mines of Tsentral'nyy Rayon. This
is natural since in the latter area coal seams have a steep dip of 60 degrees
and in Stalino-Makeyevka slope at 10-15 degrees. If the influence of the angle
of dip is taken into account to calculate the methane content gradient along
the slope of the seam instead of vertically, 31-35 meters is the figure ob-
tained for Tsentral'nyy Rayon and 29-38 meters for the Stalino-Makeyevka region,
i.e., amounts which differ only slightly.
The majority of mines in the Almazno-Mar'yevskiy region are not deep (up
to 200 meters), and methane is liberated either not at all or only in small
quantities. Mines in which the depth of operations reaches 300-400 meters
have a methane content of from 6 to 11 cubic meters per ton of daily output.
Processing of extensive data on gas liberation in the Mines imeni Krupskaya,
imeni Menzhinskiy, and "Al'bert" showed .at the methane content gradient
varies from 20 to 40 meters, depending mainly on the angle of dip of the seams.
Methane content for individual mines of the region is shown in Table 6.
CONFIDENTIAL
nA&Tre ITIQI
C flGE~
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For the Alma.zno-Mar'yevskiy region it can be assumed that the methane con-
tent gradient is 20-25 meters for mines working seams with a dip of 10-20 de-
grees. The zone of gas escape is 200-250 meters below the surface. In such a
case the methane content of deep mines probably reaches 40-50 cubic meters per
ton of daily output at a depth of 1,000 meters and 50-70 cubic meters per ton
of daily output at a depth of 1,500 meters. Thus, deep mines in the Almazno-
Mar'yevskiy region will in all probability have a higher methane content than
those in Tsentral'nyy Rayon and a lower content than those in Stalino-Makey-
evka.
Estimated methane contents in mines working coal seams at depths of
1,000-1,500 meters are not as unusual as thcy may seem at first glance and in
certain cases the methane content has reached and exceeded these estimates.
In 1937 - 1938 the methane content in some Donbass mines amounted to 70-
100 cubic meters per ton of daily output and in individual operational sections
was as high as 120 cubic meters per ton of daily output.
Conclusions
1. Under conditions of normal operation the relative methane content of
mines, starting at a certain depth (from the lower boundary of the zone of gas
escape), increases linearly with the depth of workings. The rate of increase
of methane content depth deter by
basinsmianddre-
for different is
natural andoperati operational factorsandmishdifferent content
gions.
2. From an analysis of the methane content of mines in different regions
of the Donbass, it has been established that in the Almazno-Mar'yevskiy region
the zone of gas escape reaches a depth of 200-250 meters; in Tsentral'nyy Ra-
yon, 200-300 meters; and in Stalin-Makeyevka, 100-220000 meiers. metersThe
methaanceive-
content gradients in these areas are 20-30, 25-35, 7-5 ,
ly. Using these figures and the proposed formula it is possible to estimate
probable methane content at great depths. Calculations showed that the rela-
tive methane content of mines in the Almazno-Mar'yevskiy region may reach 40-
50 cubic meters per ton of daily output at a depth of 1,000 meters and 50-70
cubic meters per ton of daily output at a depth of 1,500 meters. In Tsentral'-
nyy Rayon the figures are 30-40 and 40-50 cubic meters per ton of daily output,
respectively, and in the Stalin-Makeyevka region 60-100 and 100-140.
3. From the figures cited, it follows that when the mine capacity is
3,000-4,000 tons per day, 20,000 cubic-meters of air per minute will be re-
quired for the gassiest mines. Such mines will have, in addition to sections
with a high methane content (up to 200 cubic meters per ton of daily output),
other sections with a relatively low rate of gas liberation (15-20 cubic me-
ters per ton of daily output).
1898 - 1900
1937 - 1941
Daily liberation of methane (cu m per day)
il
f d
15,000
1,280,000
y
a
Liberation of methane (cu m per ton o
coal output)
-
o.6
6.4
gassy
",verage liberation of methane in one
mine (Cu in per day)
600
8,300
Maximum absolute methane content of mine (cu
m per day)
(cu
i
4,300
70,000
ne
Maximum relative methane content of m
7
100
m per ton of daily output)
t)
21
00
Number of gassy mines in basin (percen
Average depth of mining operations (meters)
Less than 100
220
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Level
Methane Content
(cu m per
Level
Methane Content
(cu m per
(meters)
ton of daily output)
(meters)
ton of daily output)
Donbass
Kuzbass
Ruhr
Basin
Lancashire
Basin
0-150
1.2
0.3
0-100
0.4
0.8
150-250
5.7
4.5
100-200
1.2 l
12.0
250-350
9.5
10.0
200-300
5.0 J
350-450
11.3
-?
300-400
6.3
8.4
450-550
16.3
--
400-500
7.0
(31.8)
550-800
20.0
--
500-600
16.7
23.6
--
--
600-700
36.7
25.0
--
--
--
700-800
--
32.0
800-900
--
68.3
900-1,000
--
(36.1)
Average
8.8
2.4
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Mine imeni
Mine imeni
Mines No 19 - 20
Mines No 8, No 9, and
"Krasnyy Profintern"
Dzerzhinskiy
Artem
and "Komsomolets" No 8a imeni Stalin
Mine
Level
(meters)
Cu M per Ton
of Daily
Output
Level
(meters)
Cu M per Ton
of Daily
output
Level
(meters)
Cu M per Ton
of Daily
output
Cu M per Ton
Level of Daily
(meters) Output
Level
(meters)
Cu M per Ton
of Daily
output
40-155
0.1
--
--
155-225
0.3
--
--
226-440
4.9
225-315
4.2
--
336-440
7.2
315-435
7.4
315-425
10.8
440-537
11.8
435-516
10.5
425-520
14.3
445-533
16.2
516-616
14.0
520-620
17.8
--
--
Mine imeni Artem
29
Mines No 19 - 20 and "Komso-
molets"
36
Mine "Krasnyy Profintern"
25
Mines No 8, No 9, and No 8a
imeni Stalin
32
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aep.U
Depth of
Level--Being
Actual Libera-
tion of Methane
(cu m per ton of
Gradient of Methane
Content
meters
Depth of
Zone of
Gas Es-
Probable Methane Content
(cu m per ton
of daily output)
Worked
)
(
t
daily
output
(cu m per ton of
daily output)
cape (me-
ters)
At 1,000 Meters
At 1,500 Meters
ers
me
Mine imeni Artem
520-620
17.8
29
250-300
30-35
40-50
"Komsomolets"
145-533
9.4
30-35
100-150
30-35
40-50
No 1-3 "Kochegarka"
555-640
21.0
25-35
200-350
25-70
35-85
No 8a imeni Stalin
340-427
10.3
30-35
200-250
30-35
40-45
"Krasnyy Profintern"
440-537
13.2
25-30
250-300
30-35
45-55
n
"Yunyy Kommunar"
265-346
8.5
20-30
200
Y.45
55-70
O
T1
-?
Actual Release
Depth of
Gradient of Methane
Probable Methane Content
Depth of
of Methane
Zone of
Content
(cu m per ton
Level Being
(cu m per ton of
Gas Es-
meters
of daily output)
Worked
daily
cape (me-
(cu m per ton daily
,...+.,,,+
+PrP_ I
output)
At 1,000 Meters At 1,500 Meters
Stalinskiy Rayon
"Tsentral'no-Zavodskaya
410
35.0
120-220
7-10
80-120
130-200
No 6 "Kapital'naya
190
7.6
100-200
10-15
60-90
90-1140
No l - l bis
380
20.2
100-200
Makeyevskiy Rayon
10-15
60-90
90-140
Mine imeni Kaganovich
250
11.1
"Kapital'naya"
330
19.0
1
100-200
Mine imeni Lenin
350
23.2
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Actual
Liberation of
Angles of Depth of Methane (cu m
Dip of Seams operations per ton of
(degrees) (meters) daily output)
No 6 "Golubovka"
5-8
170
1.3
No 3 bis
3-60
180
1.6
"Parizhskaya Kommuna
35
300
5.9
Mine imeni Stalin
4o-6o
350
6.0
C]
Mine imeni Krupskaya
13-16
400
5.0*
ox c
H.1
t+!
.t4
1
t7
f~
* Average methane content of the Mine imeni Krupskaya
amounted to 27 cubic meters per ton of daily output,
if methane entering from abandoned workings is taken into
account.
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