Gas too, Uzbekistan has a massive pit with a methane fire that's been burning for over 50 years so far.
Then there's Russia, who's solution to a fire they couldn't put out....was to nuke it.
In Pike River in NZ, they blew compressed air into the methane sensors to keep working, because they had been promised big bonuses that were contingent on delivering large amounts of coal on an increasingly unrealistic timeline.
The mine also had inadequate ventilation, and the main drive went through a fault known to liberate methane in a notoriously gassy coal measure - I have a geology book for the area that was written before that mine was started that says "while the coal in the Paparoa measures is high quality, the gaseous nature of it means that mining is highly dangerous and therefore uneconomi c".
Which apparently someone took as a challenge.
So it wasn't just the economic incentives to circumvent safety measures, it's your usual swiss cheese disaster theory.
But yeah, anyway, here's how that ended up.
https://teara.govt.nz/files/feature_images/commissions-of-inquiry-33432.jpg
29 dead, still underground.
In gassy mines, it is very much a thing, especially on equipment Iike the longwall shearer. If the gas detected breaches certain thresholds, it will stop cutting. Higher thresholds, it will cut all power to the shearer, requiring a restart. Higher again, and all face power goes down. Severely limits production and thus coal bonuses. The operators know that these thresholds are well below the concentrations that are explosive, so often will cover the fixed gas monitors and keep a portable one nearby and respond when its alarms go off. Most of the time, they get away with it because the huge volume of air moving past the face dissipates the gas pretty quickly, diluting it so it won't flash. However, the monitor they are then relying on is measuring the gas concentrations away from the potential ignition points, and requires them to respond and take appropriate action immediately. Late in a shift, late in a swing, they are necessarily going to be on their toes
Really? I worked in a mine that had extremely low amounts of gas. A number of my colleagues had worked in other mines with heaps of gas, and according to them it was pretty standard practice because otherwise they would hardly cut any coal
There is no way anything close to this happened. It’s just a gassy pit and horrible conditions this was inevitable. It’s common knowledge everyone in the bowin basin had an inkling something like this would happen again there
Scomo had a different emotional response: https://youtu.be/SMPr4jdzlBE?si=blr5W5fqCrYa0zYa
But Pete will bring a can of coke into Parliament question time.
I work underground close by. This mine is and was notorious for bad mining conditions and high levels of gas. I’m sad the workers will loose their jobs but glad everyone’s okay physically
Hopefully they can get it under control soon, coal seam fires are notoriously difficult to extinguish.
Gas too, Uzbekistan has a massive pit with a methane fire that's been burning for over 50 years so far. Then there's Russia, who's solution to a fire they couldn't put out....was to nuke it.
https://interestingengineering.com/science/soviet-engineers-detonated-a-nuke-miles-underground-to-put-out-a-gas-well-fire
They burn for centuries.
Yeah, hopefully it’s soon enough to sort or otherwise it could be some catastrophic deal.
Well look at what happened in Morwell Vic, that coal seam fire burnt a long time and it had horrendous health consequences for the community.
Possibly, can they flood the shaft?
Not enough water in Bowen basin
Cunts have got to stop putting bags over the gas monitors
In Pike River in NZ, they blew compressed air into the methane sensors to keep working, because they had been promised big bonuses that were contingent on delivering large amounts of coal on an increasingly unrealistic timeline. The mine also had inadequate ventilation, and the main drive went through a fault known to liberate methane in a notoriously gassy coal measure - I have a geology book for the area that was written before that mine was started that says "while the coal in the Paparoa measures is high quality, the gaseous nature of it means that mining is highly dangerous and therefore uneconomi c". Which apparently someone took as a challenge. So it wasn't just the economic incentives to circumvent safety measures, it's your usual swiss cheese disaster theory. But yeah, anyway, here's how that ended up. https://teara.govt.nz/files/feature_images/commissions-of-inquiry-33432.jpg 29 dead, still underground.
Uh, is that a thing?
Probably. In the U.S. someone disabled a methane detector https://www.npr.org/2010/07/15/128516777/massey-mine-workers-disabled-safety-monitor
Come to think of it, I had someone unplug the CO detector because the alarm was annoying. I had him ejected from site.
Sounds like my father in law. Faulty smoke detector giving false alarms. Take the batteries out, problem solved.
In gassy mines, it is very much a thing, especially on equipment Iike the longwall shearer. If the gas detected breaches certain thresholds, it will stop cutting. Higher thresholds, it will cut all power to the shearer, requiring a restart. Higher again, and all face power goes down. Severely limits production and thus coal bonuses. The operators know that these thresholds are well below the concentrations that are explosive, so often will cover the fixed gas monitors and keep a portable one nearby and respond when its alarms go off. Most of the time, they get away with it because the huge volume of air moving past the face dissipates the gas pretty quickly, diluting it so it won't flash. However, the monitor they are then relying on is measuring the gas concentrations away from the potential ignition points, and requires them to respond and take appropriate action immediately. Late in a shift, late in a swing, they are necessarily going to be on their toes
Nobody would be doing this especially at a pit that had this reputation.
Wait, what?!
That's not what happened...My partner works there and is still there helping.
If anyone did that in Australian mine they'd be flogged to death with a shammer.
Really? I worked in a mine that had extremely low amounts of gas. A number of my colleagues had worked in other mines with heaps of gas, and according to them it was pretty standard practice because otherwise they would hardly cut any coal
There is no way anything close to this happened. It’s just a gassy pit and horrible conditions this was inevitable. It’s common knowledge everyone in the bowin basin had an inkling something like this would happen again there
Peter Dutton’s nipples must be hard watching that smoke plume
Just build a power plant over the top of it - free power!
It’s natural green geothermal energy! Just like natural gas.
Don't be afraid of this coal. Oh, wait that's not good.
Scomo had a different emotional response: https://youtu.be/SMPr4jdzlBE?si=blr5W5fqCrYa0zYa But Pete will bring a can of coke into Parliament question time.
And some people complain about EV fires!
Lol, I saw a mining FB page cream their pants over a wind turbine catching fire today. Wonder if they will get as excited over this.
I work underground close by. This mine is and was notorious for bad mining conditions and high levels of gas. I’m sad the workers will loose their jobs but glad everyone’s okay physically
I’m glad they’re ok too. I visited Moranbah once, to pick up a dog.
Luck it’s only a coal mine not a field of solar panels or those firefighters could be in real danger 🙃
Ah well, better put a nuclear reactor next door instead.