Rock bursts and methane blowouts: technological theory and ways of prevention

The article discusses an alternative way to address the challenge of preventing rock bursts and methane blowouts, which cause great material and human losses. Shortcomings of the applied regulatory instructions and recommendations for safe mining operations are shown based on the analytical review. Focus of the researchers on the geomechanical patterns in coal seams predefined the hypotheses about the hazard of coal seams and did not allow to formulate the actual problems of the dangers that the rock bursts and methane blowouts pose. Objective: 1 – to establish the cause-and-effect relation of the mining processes with the development of preconditions and occurrence of the rock bursts; 2 – to develop a concept of the power impact of the rock mass on the coal seam during the rock burst against the coal seam; 3 – to prove the technological theory of the rock bursts and methane blowouts, based on the laws of gravitational compression of coal seams in the zones of disturbances in the natural continuity within the rock mass caused by the mining operations; 4 – to explain the cause-and-effect relationship between the rock burst and the processes within the coal seam, and establish patterns of the energy phenomena in the atomicmolecular organic structure of the coal seam; 5 – to identify the causes of rock bursts and methane outflows into the mine workings, and define the ways to prevent them. The theoretical significance of this research consists in changing the paradigm of knowledge increment regarding the technological causes of rock bursts and sudden methane blowouts from the coal seam. The practical significance. The following actionvs are recommended: 1 – to control the length of the main roof cantilevers in the area of the mine working, and 2 – to provide preliminary methane drainage from the coal seam ahead of the mine face by drilling degassing holes in the upper part of the coal seam. The degassing hole parameters should increase the additional molar volume to reduce the pressure of the released methane, while the parameters of the blocks between the holes should make the impact absolutely inelastic and reduce its energy.