UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE


FACULTY OF MINING AND GEOLOGY

MASTERS THESIS
TECHNOLOGY OF BUILDING OPENING ROOMS IN EXCAVATION FIELD EF-3
IN COALPIT “JARANDO”, PART OF “IBAR” COAL STONE MINES - TOWN OF BALJEVAC

SEPTEMBER, 2004
BELGRADE
MENTOR:

Professor dr. Nebojša Vidanović

THESIS COMMITTE:

Professor dr. Nebojša Vidanović

Professor dr. Veljko Simeunović
Professor dr. Komnen Đinović

DATE:
 CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................................................. 1

1.1. GENERAL DATA ABOUT MINERAL DEPOSIT ………............................................................................... 2

1.2. GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF BASIN ......................................................................................................... 2

1.2.1. Structural characteristics of ore deposit .......................................................................................... 4

1.3. NATURAL CONDITIONS AT DEPOSIT SITE ……………............................................................................ 5

1.3.1. Gaseousness .................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.3.2. Hydro-geological characteristics ......................................................................................................... 6
1.3.3. Physical and mechanical properties of coal and associated rocks ......................................... 7
1.3.4. Self-ignition of coal and explosivity parameters of coal dust................................................. 8
1.3.5. General geo - engineering characteristics of the “Jarando” deposit …………………………. 9

1.4. GEOLOGICAL RESERVES AND COAL QUALITY ..................................................................................... 10

1.4.1. Coal Reserves ............................................................................................................................................. 10
1.4.2. Quality of coal ............................................................................................................................................ 11

2. OPENING IN BASE LAYER AND REVIEW OF FINALIZED UNDERGROUND ROOMS ................... 12

2.1. OPENING MODEL AND MINING METHOD …………………………………………................................... 12

2.1.1. Technical description of methodology ............................................................................................ 12
2.1.1.1. Excavation preparation ………………………...................................................................................... 13
2.1.1.2. Upward excavation from bottom level of coal layer ............................................................... 13
2.1.1.3. Excavation of safety pillar toward earlier works ………………............................................... 13
2.1.1.4. Excavation in roof coal ………………................................................................................................. 14
2.1.1.5. Collapsing of roof coal ………………………………………………...................................................... 14

3. OPENING AND PREPARATION OF BASE COAL LAYER AND THE LIST OF PLANNED ROOMS 15

3.1. OPENING IN BASE COAL LAYER ................................................................................................................ 15

3.1.1. Technical solution with data about location and integration to the ” Jarando” pit 15
3.1.2. Position of projected rooms in relation to cleavage zone and deposit borders ......... 15
3.1.3. Position of underground rooms in relation to objects on surface …............................... 16
3.1.4. Position of underground rooms in relation to coal layer .................................................... 16

3.2 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION OF PROJECTED ROOMS ......................................................................... 17

4. CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS AND PROFILE SELECTION OF DEVELOPMENT ROOMS 20

4.1. SELECTION OF CROSS SECTIONAL PROFILE ………………………………………………………………. 20

4.1.1. Selection of the support in underground rooms ............................................................................. 20

4.2. CALCULATION OF CROSS-SECTIONAL DIMENSIONS ....................................................................... 20

4.2.1. Dimensioning of cross-sectional trapezoidal profile of EC-2 .................................................... 21
4.2.2. Dimensioning of cross-sectional round profiles of TD-3 and PTD-1 ...................................... 22
4.2.3. Dimensioning of cross-sectional round profiles of VC-3/1 and VTV-1/1 …………………… 23

5. DEVELOPMENT TECHNOLOGY OF UNDERGROUND ROOMS ................................................................. 25

5.1. CALCULATION METHODOLOGY FOR DRILLING, MINING AND IGNITION PARAMETERS 25

5.1.1. Development of underground rooms with trapezoidal profile and cross-sectional
area S = 6,3 m2 in coal environment ..................................................................................................... 28
5.1.2. Development of underground rooms with circular profile and cross sectional
area S = 6,0 m2 in marl environment ..................................................................................................... 30
5.1.3. Development of underground rooms with circular profile and cross sectional
area S = 8,2 m2 in marl environment .................................................................................................... 32
5.2. ORE LOADING AND TRANSPORTATION ................................................................................................ 34

5.3. SUPPORT IN DEVELOPMENT ROOMS .................................................................................................... 36

5.3.1. Support calculation .................................................................................................................................... 36
5.3.1.1. Calculation of wooden trapezoidal support ................................................................................ 36
5.3.1.2. Calculation of steal circular flexibile support ............................................................................. 39
5.3.2. Inbuiltment of mine support .............................................................................................................. 44
5.3.2.1. Mounting of wooden trapezoidal support .................................................................................... 44
5.3.2.2. Inbuiltment of iron circular flexibile support .............................................................................. 44

5.4. DELIVERY OF MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT ...................................................................................... 48

5.5. VENTILATION OF WORK SITE DURING DEVELOPMENT OPERATIONS .................................. 49

5.5.1. Calculation of separate ventilation parameters .......................................................................... 49
5.5.1.1. Methodology of calculation of separate ventilation parameters ....................................... 49
5.5.1.2. Calculation of required amounts of air supply …..................................................................... 49

5.6. WORK SITE DRAINAGE DURING DEVELOPMENT PHASE ............................................................. 52

5.6.1. Hydro-geological characteristics ....................................................................................................... 52
5.6.2. Temporary water collector system .................................................................................................... 52
5.6.3. Technical solution for electrical power supply .............................................................................. 52
5.6.3.1. Electrical power supply of mine ...................................................................................................... 52
5.6.3.2. „Jarando“ high voltage supply ......................................................................................................... 53
6. MANPOWER AND ORGANIZATION OF WORK OPERATIONS ................................................................ 54

7. DEVELOPMENT DYNAMICS OF PROJECTED ROOMS ................................................................................ 58

7.1. SURVEYING AND PRECALCULATIONS ................................................................................................... 60

7.1.1. Surveying and pre-calculations for TD-3 I PTD-1 (per m2 ) ..................................................... 60
7.1.2. Surveying and pre-calculations for VC-3/1 I VTV-1/1 (per m2 ) .......................................... 61
7.1.3. Surveying and pre-calculations for EC-2 (per m2 ) .................................................................... 62
7.2. RECAPITULATION OF PROJECTED ROOMS ......................................................................................... 63

8. SAFETY MEASSURES DURING DEVELOPMENT PHASE ............................................................................ 64

8.1. SAFETY MEASSURES IN UNEXPLORED WORKING ENVIRONMENT ....................................... 64

8.2. SAFETY MEASSURES WHILE DRILING HOLES FOR EXPLOSIVES ............................................ 66
8.3. SAFETY MEASSURES FOR AIR CONDITIONING ............................................................................... 66
8.4. SAFETY MEASSURES FOR TRANSPORTATION AND DELIVERY OF MATERIALS .............. 67
8.5. SAFETY MEASSURES WHEN USING WINCHES FOR DELIVERY OF MATERIALS ............... 68
8.6. SAFETY MEASSURES FOR UNDERGROUND SUPPORT .................................................................. 70
8.7. SAFETY MEASSURES FOR DRAINAGE ................................................................................................... 71
8.8. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ….............................................................................................. 71

9. CONCLUSIONS .................................................................................................................................................................. 72

LITERATURE ............................................................................................................................................................................... 73

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS ........................................................................................................................................................ 74

Branislav Stajčić Masters Thesis

1. INTRODUCTION

“Jarando” coal pit is a part of stone coal mines of Ibar 1, with ongoing underground exploitation at
bottom layer of excavation area EF-2 (EF - Excavation Field). Based on recent calculations, the
remaining coal reserves are expected to be depleted by the end of current year (2004).

Further exploatitaion works are planed in an excavation area EF-3, but with conclusion that no
geological data is currently available for this new excavation field.

As a next step in gathering reliable geological parameters, an investigation corridor named as IC-
1 was developed, but no reliable data needed for further projecting were successfully obtained
throught this corridor.

This failure led to conclusion that one more investigation corridor named as IC-2 needs to be
deleloped, which is the main subject of this graduation work.

Planned investigation operations described in this work are construction of investigation corridor
IC-2 and opening rooms TD-3, PTD-1. VC-3/1 and VTV-1/1.

This new investigation corridor IC-2 will be located in lower part of coal layer along with the
direction of coal layer. For more detailed definition of coal layer, exploration boreholes will be
drilled. Data retrieved by exploration boreholes will be used as fundamental geological
information necessary for projection of further exploitation in excavation area EF-3.

1 Named by river of Ibar in southern Serbia

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1.1. GENERAL DATA ABOUT MINERAL DEPOSIT

“Jarando” coal basin is situated in the south-western side of train station “Josanicka banja”
connecting towns of Lapovo, Kraljevo, and Kosovo Polje with standard gauge railway. In close
proximity of the mine site is town Baljevac, situated in southern Serbian county of Raska.

Mine site is well connected with outter world due to the proximity of main railway and highway
routes connecting cities of Kosovo Polje, Pristina, Beograd, Raska, and Podgorica.

Climate in the basin area is mild continental with strong distinctions between seasons, having
mild summers and mild winters.

The river of Ibar is flowing in this tertiary basin accompanied with three subsidiaries. Two
subsidiaries “Belostenski potok” and “Pobrdjanski potok” are draining western “Jarando” side of
basin, and “Karovicki potok” subsidiary is draining eastern “Piskanj” side of basin.

Soil in the area of coal basin is covered with diversity of vegetation, including woods, fields, and
orchards in alluvium of river Ibar.

Town of Baljevac is situated outside of exploitation area. However, few houses are inside this
area, and these are located in zones where coal deposits are deepening over 500 m in depth.

Historically, first exploitations are dated in 1925 and with shorter interuptions during Second
World War, it is continued up to present day.

Coal type excavated in this mine site is classified as stone coal, belonging to the group of fat
stone coals.

In the early beginning, annual production in this mine was 6.500 tons per year, reaching
120.000 tons/year in early nineties, and then being reduced to 30.000 tons/year in the early
2000s due to bad economical situation in the country.

1.2. GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF BASIN

"Jarando" basin is represented as tectonic depression in andesites and serpentines filled with
terciar coal sediments. Basin is covering an area of 19 square kilometers and is naturally
divided by river Ibar, in two side areas, named as "Jarandolski" for western side and
"Piskanjski" for eastern side.

Structures of bordering and bottom basin zones are mostly formed in andesite. While
serpentines are less present, they are more included in structure of eastern edge of basin.
Serpentines are oldest magmatic products in basin and they are presenting metamorphic
products of peridotical magma.

Andesit masses were formed from several generations mutually different by its morpholic
structure, thus witnessing excesive magmatic activity at the time in this area. Oldest are
hidrotermaly-isolated andesites, belonging to paleogenic period.

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Branislav Stajčić Masters Thesis

Dacite-andesite rocks inclining through older andesite and terciar sediments are appearing in
irregular shapes or like wires and sils. These are mostly formed in Miocene and partialy in
Pliocene.

Most juvenile stones among bazaltine andesites are aged as belonging to Pliocene, and partialy
to post Miocene period.

Terciaric sediments in basin has form of clay, marls, limestones, sandstones, tuffs and
conglomerates, penetrating into crust for more than 900 m in depth. Largest sedimentation was
processed in continental conditions, in lake water.

Sedimentation from lower miocene, has been continued thru the mid and upper miocene. So it
is likely that upper layers are from pliocene. (N.Pantic, 1961.).

Image 1.2.-1 Profile of Jarando basin

As a consequence of tectonic and volcanic activity during the whole period of basin
formation, and in relation to huge irregularity of basis and sudden changes in phisical and
chemical parameters of enviroment, sedimentation process was fast and with rythmic
repetitions, ending with big facial change of sediments in both horizontal and vertical
direction.

During period of formation of basin's coal layer, repeated elevetaion and declination of
basin fundament, was causing that certain parts of basin go through repetitive processes of
coal layer formation.

1.2.1 Structural Characteristics of Deposit

Jarando's terciaric basin represents tectonic depression formed by differentiation of

serpentinic and andesitic masses. While it is separated today, in past this basin had been
forming unique entirety with basins "Usce", "Tadenje" and "Gradac". Today, all these basins
are at different altitudes and have different depths of coal or sedimental series.

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Branislav Stajčić Masters Thesis

It was determined with deepest bore holes that neogenic sediments in Jarando's basin are
situated at 1011 m under the surface. There is also registered thickest coal deposit of 120
meters.

Main structural frame of deposit is represented with a syncline with longitudinal direction
north - north west, south - south east. Layers in lower parts of this syncline are preserved,
while upper parts have had been eroded.

Extensive voclanic activity in wider area, during periods of sedimentation and after
diagenetic stadium had ended causing active radial movements in this area.

Older tectonic lines often were regenerated and created new ways for intrusions and
efusions of dacito-andesitic rocks, which can be seen in forms of breakthrues in basin.
Those abnormalities caused clevaging of various diameters and directions.

Most visible rupture in coal part of basin is represented by clevage R-1, with longitudinal
direction toward south west - nort east.

Alnog this clevage, south-eastern side is lowered for about 130 meters in comparison to
north western side. North western side was in exploatation until 1988. South eastern side is
under ongoing exploatation since 1988.

Cleave R-2, disrupting from clevage R-1, has less importance and is laying in direction of
north west - south east. Distance between two clevages is reaching 35 meters, laying in
same direction. This clevage has been registered in corridor GTH-2, while it was under
construction and was causing heavy floodings in that and other underground spaces.

More important clevage in mining terms is clevage R-2 in southeastern side of Jarando
deposit, which was registered in corridor GHT-1 with having east – west general
longitudional direction.

Clevage is rising from west toward east for 50 to 150 meters, indicating that it is scissors
shaped type of clevage.

Most southern clevage has direction east - west, R-4 has rise of 250 meters. Coal reserves in
southern side of this clevage are categorised as C1 - reserves.

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Branislav Stajčić Masters Thesis

1.3 Natural conditions in basin

1.3.1 Gasness

In order to categorise "Jarando pit" based on scale of methane presence, first surveys were
done in 1967/68 and as a result of these surveys, pit was classified as non-methane pit.

Methane was not detected, going from the start of exploataion until 6. November 1979, when
methane unexpedelty occured and got inflamed during underground works on opening of
lower part of "Jarando" pit, which happened at 95 meters of “Shane" underground corridor and
at the front of main ventilation downway GVN-1.

After this incident, "Jarando" pit was classified as methane pit by the formulation of Republic
secretary for industry in 1987.

Informal drillings made at 14,5 meters of the front where methane occured, revealed presence
of clevage and that this work zone is laying on the beginnig of large clevage area that behaves as
gas collector. Measurements of gas tension inside rock masses were made and 2 bar pressures
was found in bore hole, while further measurements revealed presence of methane in value of
6%.

After this first methane apperance, during construction of opening rooms at point +212 m in
(GTH -1), new apearances of methane were found along the distance of 150 meters from
intersection of GTH-1 and GIN-1 corridords, along the new constructed room.

This zone is characterised with presence of small sized sandstones and conglomerates and is
handy for gas accumulations under pressure, especially because it is located close to big
clevage.

Gasness surveys in "Jarando - lower part" pit were conducted by Mining Institute in Belgrade,
section of Institute for ventilation and technical safety in 1987.

Bore hole patterns drilled in coal, roof and bottom layer were used for inspection of gasness
characteristics.

Drilling was performed on five locations with two bore holes on every location (in roof and
bottom layer of coal layer).

Results retrieved from coal patterns taken from coal, roof and bottom layers, taken from open
parts of "Jarando - lowered part" pit, from the bottom of corridors VH-2, OH-2, TU-2 and TN-2
by bore holes 10/87, 13/87 and 23/87 showed that all inspected gasness parameteres in pit
conditions are in following ranges:

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Branislav Stajčić Masters Thesis

Coal:
- humidity from 2,83 to 5,79 %
- ashes from 33,29 to 54,11 %
- methane from 0,88 to 31,82 %
- remained methane from 0,00 to 2,245 m3/t r.u.
abundance

Roof coal:

- humidity 1,58 do 5,96 %

- ashes 60,65 do 86,55 %
- methane 0,66 do 5,62 %
- remained methane 0,003 do 0,023 m3/t r.u.
abundance

Floor coal:

- humidity 2,24 do 3,67 %

- ashes 71,06 do 91,89 %
- methane 0,65 do 3,00 %
- remained methane 0,004 do 0,012 m3/t r.u.
abundance

Based on gathered data, it was concluded that in researched area, methane abundance is in
following ranges:

- the relative abundance of methane is between od 0,000 do 0,245 m3/t.r.u.

- the absolute abundance of methane is between 0,008 do 0,079 m3/t.r.u.

Having values of Relative and absolute values of methane abundance already at minimum, with
optimal air conditioning regime these values can be reduced to nominal conditions.

Measured gasness inside the deposit:

o the relative gassnes abundance 0,770 do 4,639 m3/t.r.u.;

o the absolute gassnes abundance 0,248 do 1,121 m3/t.r.u.

Based on these values average value of ambudance of nitrogen is determined and is 81%.

Based on relative methane ambudance, this deposit is classified as deposit in first category of
methane zone, which contains nitrogen-methaneous characteristics.

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