Mining thin sub-layer as self-protective coal seam to reduce the danger of coal and gas outburst

In response to the severe situation of coal mine gas disaster in China, a new method of reducing the danger of coal and gas outbursts and improving gas drainage and utilization in coal mines was introduced in this paper. The main idea of this method is to mining thin sub-layer as self-protective coal seam to eliminate or reduce the danger of coal and gas outburst. This method can be implemented by drills along seam and hydraulic jet when the mined seam with a relatively weak risk of coal and gas outbursts is soft or has a soft layer. This method was first applied in the Yian mine to verify its effectiveness. The results of application showed that mining thin sub-layer as self-protective coal seam can effectively eliminate the danger of coal and gas outburst and improve gas drainage and utilization. As this method needs less time and lower cost than conventional protective layer mining, it is of great significance for mining coal seam with the danger of coal and gas outburst.