Technology Development and Engineering Practice for Protection and Utilization of Water Resources in Coal Mining in Western China

Abstract

Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu (hereafter generally referred as “the Western Area”) are major coal-producing areas in China due to rich coal resources and good mining conditions. However, the Western Area has a serious water shortage. The surface evaporation is huge and a great amount of mine water generated in coal mining is evaporated and lost after discharging to surface. In order to protect and utilize the water resources during large-scale coal mining in the Western Area, Shenhua Group has put forward a technological idea to store mine water in underground mined areas and successfully researched and developed the coal mine underground reservoir technology by solving the technical difficulties of water source prediction, reservoir site selection, reservoir capacity design, dam construction, safety guarantee, water quality control and so on through 20 years of exploration. Now Shenhua Group has successfully established a batch of reservoir in the Shendong Mining Area, obtaining great economic and social benefits. The technology is also extended to other western mining areas, providing an effective path for harmonic mining of coal and water resources in western China.

Keywords

Western Mining Area / coal mining / water resources / coal mine underground reservoirs

References

[1] BP Global. (2015). BP statistical review of world energy 2015. Retrieved from http://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/press/speeches/bp-statistical-review-of-world-energy-2015.html.

[2] China National Coal Association. (2013). China coal industry statistical yearbook, 2012. Beijing: China National Coal Association.

[3] Chinese Academy of Engineering. (2012). Consulting project of study on clean, efficient and sustainable development and utilization strategy of China coal. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Engineering.

[4] Gu, D. (2012). Protection and utilization of water resources in coal mining in energy “Golden Triangle”. Beijing: Science Press.

[5] Gu, D. (2013a). Water resource protection technology for coal mining in western China. Cornerstone, 1, 61–65.

[6] Gu, D. (2013b). Water resource and surface ecology protection technology of modern coal mining in China’s energy “Golden Triangle”. Engineering and Science, 15, 102–107.

[7] Gu, D. (2014). Protection and Utilization of Water Resources in Coal Mining in Western China. 2014 International Pittsburgh Coal Conference.

[8] Gu, D., & Zhang, J. (2012). Modern coal mining affected to underground water deposit environment in west China mining area. Coal Science and Technology, 40, 114–117.

[9] He, X., Yang, J., Shao, L., Li, F., & Wang, X. (2008). Problems and countermeasures of mine water resource generation in China. Journal of China Coal Society, 33, 63–66.

[10] Xie, H., Hou, Z., Gao, F., Zhou, L., & Gao, Y. (2015). A new technology of pumped-storage power in underground coal mine: principle, present situation and future. Journal of China Coal Society, 40, 965–972.

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

2016 The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at engineering.cae.cn