Coal micro-structure & CBM 2012

Coal micro-structure & CBM 2012

Lantern seam coal samples are anisotropic and contain four fracture types: Undulate and sinuous open fractures related to isolated competent macerals. Irregular distributed micro-fractures developed within brittle layers of fusain. Regular butt and face cleat in homogeneous vitrain. Well developed fractures in inter-layered vitrain and fusain.

Structural coal petrography for CBM

Planar fractures measured in fusain have a fracture density of 2.1 fractures per mm and in vitrain, 2.4 fractures per mm. Planar and sinuous fractures in vitrain-fusain layering vary in openness from 0.003mm to 0.03mm. Fracture density is higher at 4.0 to 5.3 fractures per mm. In coal at depth fracture openness is reduced by overburden pressure, the role of fusain has a significant role in maintaining fracture density. Samples of the Lantern seam from deep level are well bedded and heterogeneous. Fracture density is preferably high, far higher than in a homogeneous coal. A typical geological section from Park Slip Extension opencast coal site Controls on fracture style Sampling There are at least three structural controls on the style of fracturing in coal: Archive samples of deep level coal, extracted from the Meiros colliery of Llanharan, were kindly donated for this study by the National Museum of Wales. The Meiros colliery drift proved a section of strata from the Lantern to Six Feet seams. The Meiros shaft was 183m deep and the Lantern seam reaches a depth of 330m. The Lantern seam contains styles of fracture exemplary of the effects of depth. Samples were divided into segments to best show butt cleat and face cleat fractures, they were polished and oriented orthogonally for observation under a reflected light microscope. Smaller preparations were designed for an S.E.M. Plates were taken at x100 magnification to produce frames of actual areas 0.6mm x 0.4mm. Shallow level coals were taken from two opencast coals sites along the south crop, Park Slip Extension before backfilling was completed and an operational Llanilid mine. Coals were measured and mapped and fracture-bearing samples were extracted from Six Feet, Four Feet and Two Feet Nine Seams, at depths no greater than 50m. Both large polished blocks and miniature S.E.M studs were prepared for close inspection. Systematic description of coal fractures Detailed examination of layer thickness and fracture density reveals a linear relationship of 1 fracture per mm in a layer of 1mm thickness. Furthermore examinations of interbedded coal on a mesoscale within opencast sites show similarly 1 fracture per 0.95cm in a layer of vitrain localised or isolated macerals single layer thickness multilayer inhomogeneity

Fusain clasts or macerals even as small as 0.2mm2 in cross section, within a vitrain groundmass or matrix show differences in competence. Sigmoidal fracture arrays occur at anisotropic maceral boundaries and range in openness from 0.003mm to 0.04mm. They contribute a density of 1.5 fractures per mm measured at x100 magnification. Layer thickness is affective on fracture spacing. Bands of vitrain vary in thickness; they have boundary layers of fusain and behave as single layers. E.g. butt cleat within a confined layer of vitrain 0.18mm in thickness shows a spacing of 0.23mm; and, less than 1mm along the same layer at a thickness of 0.39mm fractures show a spacing of 0.46mm.

M.N. Miliorizos University of Glamorgan

M.N. Miliorizos University of Glamorgan

Coal micro-structure & CBM 2012

1cm in thickness. I.e. a density of 1 fracture per unit length and unit thickness may be a characteristic of a heterogeneous coal seam from a microscopic-scale to mesoscopic-scale. This rule works for coals extracted from both deep and shallow levels. Well developed planar and sinuous fractures occur in an interbedded vitrain and fusain multilayer with its layers ranging in thickness from 0.03 to 0.36mm. Fracture density is enhanced at irregular vitrain-fusain boundaries, 2.8 to 6.0 fractures per mm, including a normal or background component of cleat fracture density. Fusain competence enhances fracture sinuosity and diminishes fracture openness, thus a high proportion of fusain may reduce the permeability of a coal seam. Yet equally viable, fusain may enhance effective porosity by facilitating the formation and interconnectivity of anastomosing micro-fractures. Comparative study of deep and shallow coals The most significant difference is location. The deep level Lantern coal samples originate from 330m and shallow level Park Slip Extension and Llanilid coal samples from < 50m. Four comparable styles of structural fractures are: localised fractures induced by irregular vitrain-fusain boundaries regular fractures that are bed parallel to sub-parallel and induced by layer slip regular butt and face cleat in homogeneous vitrain groundmass due to background fractures regular and irregular cleat and relay fractures in a predominantly vitrain groundmass due to a combination of factors above. Openness of irregular fractures at a maceral boundary is 5 times greater in shallow coals, whilst openness of low angle fractures is only 1/4 times greater in shallow coals. Butt cleat is between 1/10 times to 3 times greater in shallow coals whilst face cleat is 2.5 times greater. The combined fracture network is wider at shallow levels than at depth. Nevertheless fracture length and connectivity persist in deep coals. Effects of organic-sedimentary composition versus burial depth A comparison of deep level fusain structure and shallow level layering shows in one crucial example, cellular structure that is intact in deep coal and fractured in shallow coal, whilst in

Coal micro-structure & CBM 2012 structure

another significant example semi fusinite from depth shows a disrupted cellular structure. semi-fusinite They suggest the competence and tenacity of the maceral governs the fracture density more than the extraction depths.

tes lining, and coal Micrometer scale S.E.M. plates show tight and open coal fractures, mineral lini cellular structure. Fractures are 0.05mm to 0.1mm in width. .

M.N. Miliorizos University of Glamorgan

M.N. Miliorizos University of Glamorgan