For most of July this year, a fire blazed underground at Anglo American’s Grosvenor coal mine in Queensland, prompting one regulator to investigate the potential risk at other mines.
On June 29, gas ignited in the tail gate of the underground longwall at Grosvenor and all mine personnel were quickly evacuated.
Efforts to put out the fire continued until July 25, when Anglo chief executive Duncan Wanblad confirmed it had been staunched.
Anglo immediately called in Resources Safety and Health Queensland to investigate when the fire broke out, who in turn notified the New South Wales Resources Regulator.
In response, the NSW Regulator carried out an inspection program to assess the risk of similar incidents at underground coal mines in NSW.
The assessments specifically targeted eight underground coal mines with longwall mining operations and methane present as a seam gas.
Without detailed information on how the Grosvenor fire broke out, the Regulator considered the mines’ handling of ignition sources, ventilation and gas management controls and post-incident responses for mine monitoring and sealing.
Of the eight mines investigated, all had appropriate ventilation, controls and post-incident monitoring, as well as good knowledge of their spontaneous combustion potential.
However, of the 464 individual findings from the investigation, 43 required enforcement action, with a total 18 notices issued to seven mines in the program.
Of the areas investigated, the Regulator released recommendations for the following pinch points:
- Coal mine operators injecting polymerics in coal for strata support should consider the reaction temperature of the product in relation to the thermal runaway temperature of the in-situ coal
- Coal mine operators should review their plans for emergency sealing considering the sequence of sealing, potential for explosions, resistance of seals to an overpressure event and the maintenance of seals
- Post-incident monitoring arrangements should include tube bundle monitoring at strategic locations
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