Patent ID: 9724548
Date: 2017-08-08
CPC Classifications: A62C,E21B,E21F

Claim:
1. A method of terminating expansion of a coal seam fire by creating a void-barrier, the method comprising: identifying a location of a coal seam fire expanding along a direction of a coal seam; selecting a location for a potential void-barrier that is separate from the location of the coal seam fire but along the direction of the coal seam fire, wherein the location for the potential void-barrier is chosen to prevent combustion of coal remaining in the coal seam by the existing coal seam fire; drilling holes into the location for the potential void-barrier; connecting a line through one of the holes to deliver air or oxygen to the location of the potential void-barrier; gasifying underground coal using underground coal gasification (UCG) in the location for the potential void-barrier, wherein the gasification comprises adding the air or oxygen to the location of the potential void-barrier through the line and igniting the coal in the location of the potential void-barrier to combust the coal and gasify the coal, thus creating the void-barrier; and sealing the location of the void-barrier.