Goaf water storage and utilization in arid regions of northwest China: A case study of Shennan coal mine district

In arid and semiarid regions of northwest China, there are abundant shallow coal reserves throughout the region, yet during the mining process, the shallow water resources available are typically depleted due to the formation of fractures in the shallow subsurface. Water-preserved mining is the only option for coal mining in arid regions of northwest China. Based on the geological and hydrogeological conditions of the study area, this paper investigates the basic conditions and mechanisms of goaf water storage. A time series model for goaf water storage is proposed, along with a method for estimating the quantity of goaf water storage. Finally, hydrochemical characteristics of mine water and water quality characteristics after purification in the study area were analyzed. As indicated by the analysis results, after simple purification, the goaf water can meet industrial, ecological and agricultural water consumption standards. In the end, combined with current monitoring results of goaf water pressure and the status of goaf water utilization in the study area, this paper describes the quantity and the effect of utilizing goaf water storage. Goaf water storage can effectively alleviate the scarcity of local production and domestic water, and provides the most effective approach of large-scale water-preserved mining of shallow coal seams in the arid regions of northwest China.