Determination of hydraulic flushing impact range by DC resistivity test method

Abstract Chinese coal mines often apply hydraulic flushing technology for pressure relief and permeability increase of difficult-to-extract coal seams In order to study effective detection methods for the impact range of hydraulic flushing on coal seams, we first experimentally investigated the response characteristics of the apparent resistivity of small-scale coal mass to hydraulic flushing, then theoretically analyzed the characteristics of its temporal variation and spatial distribution, and lastly measured the changes in apparent resistivity in the Hydraulic flushing process at Nuodong Coal Mine, Guizhou Province, China, and the effective range of Hydraulic flushing in the coal bed. The experimental results showed that the spatial distribution and variation of coal and rock mass structure could be reflected by apparent resistivity. Under high-pressure water, coal structure was changed (loosen, broken, or out-washed), forming cavities and a network of cracks in the surroundings of the drilling borehole, which reduced the conductivity of coal and caused a significant increase in apparent resistivity. In both laboratory and field experiments, the coal/rock apparent resistivity was relatively consistent, and the apparent resistivity in the hydraulic flushing impact region significantly grew. The hydraulic flushing impact range was gradually increasing, and the response of apparent resistance was closely associated with the role of high-pressure water and the evolution of the fracture field.