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- Coal Seams With a History of Spontaneous Combustion.
Coal Seams With a History of Spontaneous Combustion.
The following tables presents a list of coal seams which have been known to suffer from occurrences of spontaneous combustion and are consequently regarded as at 'high risk' of succumbing to spontaneous combustion when being entered, worked or disturbed.
Coal seams which are excluded from the table should not be regarded as free from risk of spontaneous combustion as the majority of coal seams could suffer from spontaneous combustion depending upon the method of them being entered, worked or disturbed.
Please be aware that some areas may have localised names for these seams.
| Seam Location: | Coal Seam: |
|---|---|
| Cannock | Bass Eight Foot Shallow |
| Cumberland | Where roof coal is left |
| Durham (South) | Maudlin Seam |
| Lancashire | Where roof coal is left Higher Florida Lower Florida Trencherbone |
| Leicestershire | Lount Seam Excelsior New Main |
| Derbyshire (North) | Deep Soft Top Hard |
| Derbyshire (South) | Main Coal |
| Northumberland | High Main Main |
| Nottinghamshire | Blackshale Top Hard Top Soft Parkgate Low Main |
| Staffordshire (North) | Great Row Spencroft Cannel Row Moss Cockshead Ten Feet |
| Staffordshire (South) | Staffordshire thick coal |
| Warwickshire | Warwickshire thick coal |
| Yorkshire | Barnsley Top Soft Day Bed Dunsil Beeston Stanley Main Shafton High Hazel Thorncliffe Parkgate Silkstone |
| Seam Location: | Coal Seam: |
|---|---|
| Ayrshire | Big Drum Seam Coral Seam Gas Water Main Coal Major seam Patna Seven Foot Coal Thick Wee Drum |
| Scotland (North) | Dysart Main |
| Scotland (South) | Stairhead Corbie The Kelty Main (Kinrod) Free Craighead (Quarrelton Thick Coal) |
| Seam Location: | Coal Seam: |
|---|---|
| North Wales | Where roof coal is left |
Coal Seams with High Risk Spontaneous Combustion Based on Cross Over Temperature Values
The following table presents a list of coal seams which laboratory tests indicated were at high or medium risk of spontaneous combustion. The designation of high or moderate risk is based wholly on cross-over temperature (COT) tests*.
It must be emphasised that, unlike the list of seams prone to spontaneous combustion based on mining history (above), this list is largely based on small samples from seams. Where there are multiple samples the number is shown in brackets following the risk level. This second list should therefore be treated as having less weight than the first list, although still having a significant value.
Coal seams which are excluded from the table should not be regarded as free from risk of spontaneous combustion as the majority of coal seams could suffer from spontaneous combustion depending upon the method of them being entered, worked or disturbed.
| Seam Location: | Coal Seam: | Spontaneous Combustion Risk: |
|---|---|---|
| South Yorkshire | Two Foot | High |
| Shropshire | Best Clod Little Flint Lower Clunch Lower New Mine Randle Two Foot (Residual Coal) Upper Clunch |
High High (3) High/Medium (3) High (2) High/Medium (2) High (2) High (2) High (3) |
* COT tests gradually heat coal in the presence of air until the temperature becomes self sustaining and the lower temperature that this occurs, the greater the risk of spontaneous combustion. Coal samples with COT’s of below 170°C are designated high risk and those up to 200°C medium risk.
