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Abnormal Characteristics of Component Concentrations in Near-Surface Soil Gas over Abandoned Gobs: A Case Study in Jixi Basin, China

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Abstract

Effective management of surface emissions from abandoned gob methane (AGM) is crucial for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring public safety. An important geochemical characteristic of near-surface AGM migration is the potential presence of abnormal component concentrations in near-surface soil gas over abandoned coal gobs. To investigate this phenomenon, a surface geochemical survey was conducted based on four survey lines in the Dongyi and Dongsan abandoned gob groups in the Xinghua Coal Mine, Jixi Basin, in China. The gas chromatography technique was used to analyze the concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, ethane, propane, and butane in the collected 43 soil gas samples. The results revealed a significant anomaly of soil gas concentrations, particularly methane and carbon dioxide anomalies, in the near-surface soil over abandoned gobs. The background concentration for methane was determined to be 7.49 ppm, with an anomalous threshold set at 10 ppm based on a statistical analysis and an iterative method. This threshold could be confirmed by examining the coupling and decoupling relationship between methane, carbon dioxide, and C2–3 as well. A spatial correlation between regions exhibiting anomalous methane and carbon dioxide concentrations and the positions of gob areas, abandoned surface wells, and faults was observed. Abandoned and sealed coalbed methane surface wells and faults near gas-rich gob areas have the potential to act as conduits for AGM leakage to the surface. Furthermore, concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, and C2–3 in soil gas over abandoned coal gobs were significantly higher compared to areas unaffected by mining activities. This suggests that elevated concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, and C2–3 in soil gas may originate from underground AGM.

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2019XKQYMS57), Mining fissure field characteristics in high gas working panels in Jixi mining area and its influence on gas control (No. 2021060117), a project funded by the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions in China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Coalbed Methane Resources and Reservoir Formation Process, China University of Mining and Technology, Ministry of Education, Xuzhou, 221008, People’s Republic of China

    Huazhou Huang

  2. School of Resources and Geosciences, China University of Mining and Technology, Daxue Road No. 1, Quanshan District, Xuzhou, 221116, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China

    Huazhou Huang

  3. The Third Exploration Team of Anhui Coalfield Geology Bureau, Suzhou, 234000, People’s Republic of China

    Zhengqing Wu

  4. Oil & Gas Resource Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Beijing, 100029, People’s Republic of China

    Caiqin Bi

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Huang, H., Wu, Z. & Bi, C. Abnormal Characteristics of Component Concentrations in Near-Surface Soil Gas over Abandoned Gobs: A Case Study in Jixi Basin, China. Nat Resour Res (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-024-10338-0

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