Aquifer-protective mining technique and its application in shallowly buried coal seams in Northwest of China

In shallowly buried coal seam mining, the overlying aquifer is easily affected by the large-scale underground mining with the resultant water loss of ground water or/and surface water, which case is especially significant for the coal mines in northwest of China where the original fragile surface environment may become worse and worse. Aquifer-protective mining and the surface environment protection has been tremendously problematic in terms of coal exploitations in Northwest of China. Based on the coal bearing geological conditions of Shendong coalfield, a high coal production base, the mechanisms and the basic conditions of aquifer-protective mining are revealed and the applicability is classified through the methodologies of theoretical analysis, physical simulation, numerical calculation and field survey. This application is of assistance to promote better understanding of aquifer-protective mining and demonstrates that the aquifer-protective mining technique for shallowly buried coal seams can be conducted successfully if under an applicable condition.