IMRB 2021 - Owen Salisbury - Whitehaven Coal - Australia - Management of Spontaneous Combustion

Whitehaven Coal Limited
The following spontaneous combustion event occurred in May 2020 and was successfully dealt with over the next 4 months. Due to numerous responses and actions done well, the impact was limited. In May 2020 products of accelerated coal oxidation were detected behind a seal at the rear of the LW109 goaf during routine sampling. At this time, O2 was present along MG seals at greater than 15%.
It was determined that the oxidation was in the pillar on the MG corner.
The following actions were taken
• Activated MRS Mineshield
• Built N2 chamber
• QMRS UG foam unit to site injected N2 foam at the source which was very successful
• Situation improved for few days then reversed oxidation creates a new airflow path.
• Utilised Mines Rescue team to enter N2 chamber to repair monitoring system - foam
observed from strata cracks
• Installed carbofill plug outbye
• Rocsil plug at MG corner
• Flyash plug into chamber created.
The process from detection, rapid and significant responses meant that the mine kept
operating, it limited the extent of the event and put permanent solutions in place.