Collapse processes in abandoned pillar and stall coal mines: Implications for shallow mine geothermal energy

Andrews, Billy; Cumberpatch, Zoë A.; Shipton, Zoe K.; Lord, Richard

doi:10.1016/j.geothermics.2020.101904

Cited by 28 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Their closure, cessation of pumping, and recovery of minewater toward pre-mining levels has presented one of the greatest challenges associated with the industry's downturn [27,28]. Subsequent risks of contaminated aquifers [29], CMD [30], watercourse pollution and ground instability [31] require monitoring and mitigation. Such mitigation often involves the continued abstraction of minewater to maintain acceptable water levels.…”

Section: Low-carbon Energy From Coal Minesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Performance of Minewater Heating and Cooling Systems

et al. 2021

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As the decarbonisation of heating and cooling becomes a matter of critical importance, it has been shown that flooded mines can provide a reliable source of low-carbon thermal energy production and storage when coupled with appropriate demand via an appropriate heat transfer technology. This paper summarises the potential resource represented by a long legacy of mining operations, the means heat can be extracted from (or rejected to) flooded mine workings, and then considers the risks and challenges faced by minewater geothermal energy (MWG) schemes in the planning, construction, and operational phases. A combination of site visits, interviews and literature reviews has informed concise, updated accounts for many of the minewater geothermal energy systems installed across the world, including accounts of hitherto unpublished systems. The paper has found that a number of previously reported MWG schemes are now non-operational. Key risks encountered by MWG schemes (which in some cases have led to decommissioning) include clogging of system components with mineral precipitates (e.g., ochre), uncertainty in targeting open mine voids and their hydraulic behaviour, uncertainty regarding longevity of access to minewater resource, and accumulated ongoing monitoring and maintenance burdens.

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Section: Low-carbon Energy From Coal Minesmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review of the Performance of Minewater Heating and Cooling Systems

et al. 2021

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“…Younger and Robins 2002) that are key for the mine water resource and its sustainability. In addition, Andrews et al (2020a) illustrate sedimentation of coal breccias and laminated muds resulting from groundwater flow within a collapsing pillar and stall mine working, highlighting an additional time-dependent process that affects hydraulic properties of legacy mines and potential mine water resources. Thus, whilst mine workings are commonly well…”

Section: A C C E P T E Dmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…NCB 1975; Healy and Head 1984; summary in Mason et al 2019). The effects on groundwater flow and flow properties (Younger and Adams), and any evolution through time for legacy mines is less extensively documented, particularly the implications for mine water heat abstraction and heat storage (Andrews et al 2020a). An initial summary of the observed fractures and disruption observed in the Cuningar Loop mine water boreholes from adjacent to the mine workings is therefore important for future hydrogeological testing, conceptual and numerical modelling of mine water resources.…”

Section: Accepted Manuscriptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drilling into mines for heat: geological synthesis of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow and implications for mine water heat resources

Monaghan

Starcher

Barron

et al. 2021

QJEGH

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Thermal energy from groundwater in abandoned, flooded, coal mines has the potential to make a significant contribution to decarbonisation of heat and Net-Zero carbon emissions. In Glasgow, UK, a subsurface observatory has been constructed for mine water heat and heat storage research. We synthesise geological and mine water resource findings from a four-year period of borehole planning, drilling, logging and testing. The heterogenous bedrock is typical of the Scottish Coal Measures Group, whereas superficial deposits are more sand- and gravel-dominated than prognosed. Mine water boreholes encountered workings in the Glasgow Upper, Glasgow Ell and Glasgow Main coal seams, proving water-filled voids, mine waste, fractured rock mass and intact coal pillars with high yields on initial hydrogeological testing. Whilst the depth and extent of mine workings delineated on mine abandonment plans proved accurate, metre-scale variability was expected and proved in the boreholes. A mine water reservoir classification established from the observatory boreholes highlights the resource potential in areas of total extraction, stowage, and stoop and room workings. Since their spatial extent is more extensive across the UK than shafts or roadways, increasing the mine water energy evidence base and reducing exploration risk in these types of legacy workings is important.Supplementary material Borehole reports and other datasets are available at https://ukgeos.ac.uk/data-downloads (mixture of over 20 DOI datasets and reports/data packs published openly on https://nora.nerc.ac.uk, all material is deposited in the National Geoscience Data Centre)

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“…Temperatures could be influenced by the residence time of mine water, and indirectly by the permeability of open and collapsed mine workings. Andrews et al (2020) suggests then when pillar and stall mine workings collapse low permeability clay rich material and mud can be added to the system potentially reducing permeability in collapsed workings, this is significant both locally when designing mine…”

Section: Controls On Mine Water Temperaturesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The temperature of Britain's coalfields

Farr

Busby

Wyatt

et al. 2020

QJEGH

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Low temperature heat recovery, cooling and storage schemes, using abandoned flooded mine workings are a viable option for low carbon heating solutions within many abandoned British coalfields. The temperature of mine water is a useful parameter, coupled with depth to water, sustainable yield and recharge potential, to identify suitable locations and calculate the likely performance of heat recovery schemes. This paper aims to provide the first mapping and synthesis of the temperature of Britain's coalfields to support this emerging technology. Using the best available evidence, a median geothermal gradient of 24.1 ˚C/km was calculated for the British coalfields. However, geothermal gradients between separate coalfields can vary from 17.3 to 34.3 ˚C/km. The North East, Cumbria and Yorkshire coalfields all have mean geothermal gradients generally >30 ˚C/km, whilst geothermal gradients of generally <23 ˚C/km are measured in the Warwickshire, South Wales, Staffordshire, Douglas and Fife coalfields. Active dewatering schemes are shown to locally increase the apparent measured geothermal gradient by ingress and mixing of deeper water into the pumping shafts. This baseline spatial mapping and synthesis of coalfield temperatures offers significant benefit to those planning, designing and regulating heat recovery and storage in Britain's abandoned coalfields.

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Collapse processes in abandoned pillar and stall coal mines: Implications for shallow mine geothermal energy

Cited by 28 publications

References 45 publications

A Review of the Performance of Minewater Heating and Cooling Systems

A Review of the Performance of Minewater Heating and Cooling Systems

Drilling into mines for heat: geological synthesis of the UK Geoenergy Observatory in Glasgow and implications for mine water heat resources

The temperature of Britain's coalfields

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