Ural State Mining University, Yekaterinburg, Russia:
N. G. Valiev, First Vice-Rector, Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences
L. A. Vazhenin, Associate Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
K. V. Kokarev, Associate Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Konstantin.Kokarev@m.ursmu.ru

The article describes the method of shallow coal mining with the placement of main haulage level on the surface. The analysis of the applied methods for accessing minerals and developing minefields reveals their common disadvantages: high capital cost, long-term construction of a mine or a level before the start of the actual mining, considerable extent of mine workings to be driven and supported, significant excess mileage, high payback of capital investments. The development of a mining technology for shallow coal seams had been simultaneously aimed to add a face output and to elaborate process flow diagrams for the increase in the number of faces within the minefield. The multi-level development of a minefield by the longwall-level scheme, which is the simplest approach in terms of transport and ventilation, was replaced by the sublevel method that allowed having up to four faces per level. To extend the lifetime of a level and the mine capacity, to deconcentrate mining operations and to increase the efficiency of capital cost, the extraction panels were used; under more favorable conditions, a multi-level, more benefi cial, layout was chosen. The increase in the mine capacity and the gas content growth required separating the mine into blocks with sectional ventilation and a single haulage level. A serious drawback of the applied process flow diagrams of underground coal mining is the discrepancy between the flow diagrams and high capabilities of the equipment. The technical capabilities of the equipment allow reaching the highest face output; the process flow diagrams in use are meant for few faces to develop the mine design capacity. High capital investments, long payback period, kilometers of development workings, significant excess mileage, complicated handling and ventilation circuits – the shortcomings to be eliminated with the method described in this article.

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