1990’s – Newcastle Coalfield
During the 1990’s wider and more productive longwall panels were being introduced into the Newcastle Coalfield however the strata of the Newcastle Coalfield incorporate numerous massive sandstones and conglomerates, some of which formed the immediate roof of the coal seams being mined. This geology had unexpected implications that included more variable and increased subsidence, severe periodic weighting (with associated mid-face falls) as well as windblast.
During this time I was involved in several “ground breaking” applications into subsidence prediction as well as predicting geological criteria responsible for windblast and periodic weighting. This included the introduction of the first micro-seismic monitoring array used to assist a coal mining. The relationships developed between the overlying massive strata, longwall panel geometry and the various risks encountered during this period remains the most concise still documented.
An ACARP report produced for these work can be found here: http://www.acarp.com.au/abstracts.aspx?repId=C5015
Newstan Colliery Longwall 5 Face Fall