In July 2026, the Mining Research Institute of China Coal Technology and Engineering Group (CCTEG) achieved a major breakthrough in its project on complete sets of technology and equipment for surface fracturing of thick and hard roofs to prevent dynamic disasters in coal mines. China's first specialized surface fracturing skid-mounted equipment for coal mines was successfully developed. This equipment is specifically designed to address the challenge of preventing and controlling dynamic disasters caused by thick and hard roofs in coal mines, marking a critical step forward in China's coal mine disaster management field.

Thick and Hard Roofs – The "Sword of Damocles" Over Coal Mine Safety

The Inner Mongolia-Shaanxi region is China's core coal production base, where coal seams are generally overlain by hard roof strata ranging from 30 to 100 meters in thickness. These thick and hard roofs act like a "sword of Damocles" hanging over mining faces. As mining progresses, the large-area exposure of the roof can lead to sudden collapse, easily triggering severe dynamic disasters such as rock bursts and mine tremors, posing a serious threat to miners' safety and normal mine operations.

Previous control methods mainly included underground blasting and short-hole fracturing. However, these techniques could only treat near-field areas within 50 meters of roadways and coal seam peripheries, making it difficult to achieve full-area proactive control of mid-to-high-level roofs. This technical bottleneck has long constrained coal mine safety production, becoming a common challenge urgently needing resolution in the industry.

Three Key Technologies + First Specialized Equipment

Leveraging the platform of the 5th Central Enterprise Yiyi Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, the Mining Research Institute of CCTEG has diligently tackled key technologies, including precise identification of target rock layers, specialized fracturing fluids for coal measure strata, and multi-field multi-parameter joint monitoring.

On this basis, the team successfully developed China's first specialized surface fracturing skid-mounted equipment for coal mines, establishing a systematic, intelligent, and efficient solution for preventing dynamic disasters in coal mines.

Core Technological Innovations

Precise Identification: Locking onto Target Rock Layers

The project team broke through the precise identification technology for target rock layers, enabling accurate "imaging" of thick and hard roofs tens to hundreds of meters above coal seams to determine the target layers for fracturing.

Specialized Fracturing Fluid: Adapted for Coal Measure Strata

Unlike conventional oil and gas fracturing fluids, the team specifically developed a fracturing fluid system tailored for coal measure strata, ensuring efficient fracturing under the unique geological conditions of coal mines.

Multi-Field Multi-Parameter Joint Monitoring: Full-Process Intelligent Control

A multi-field multi-parameter joint monitoring system was established to provide real-time monitoring and dynamic assessment throughout the fracturing process, ensuring construction safety and controllable results.

Key Equipment Parameters

Four Core Advantages

Compared to traditional equipment and construction processes, this complete set of technology and equipment offers significant advantages:

Modular skid-mounted structure: Facilitates transportation and rapid on-site deployment, adaptable to various complex mine conditions

Energy saving and cost reduction: Rated pressure redundancy reduced by over 70%, significantly lowering energy consumption and operating costs

Remote intelligent control: Equipped with a remote one-key start/stop intelligent control system, greatly enhancing construction intelligence and safety coefficients

High efficiency and safety: Achieves a combination of safety, efficiency, energy savings, and economic benefits

From Inner Mongolia-Shaanxi to Nationwide, Boosting Coal Industry Safety Upgrades

Already Applied in Large Coal Mines in the Inner Mongolia-Shaanxi Region

Currently, this technology has been deployed in large coal mines in the Inner Mongolia-Shaanxi region, including China Coal Dahaize, Yanchang Petroleum Balasu, Yitai Hongqinghe, and Suancigou, with good on-site application results, effectively solving the dynamic disaster prevention and control challenges in thick and hard roof mines.

Strategic Value

Solving the "Sword of Damocles" Problem

This equipment achieves, for the first time, full-area proactive control of mid-to-high-level thick and hard roofs, fundamentally changing the previous limitation of only treating near-field areas, providing a new technical means for coal mine safety production.

Filling the Gap in Specialized Coal Mine Equipment

Previously, surface fracturing in coal mines mainly borrowed fracturing equipment from the oil and gas industry, leading to issues such as "overkill," high energy consumption, and poor adaptability. This newly developed specialized surface fracturing skid-mounted equipment for coal mines fills the equipment gap in this field.

Promoting Intelligent Transformation of the Coal Industry

The equipment is equipped with a remote intelligent control system, enabling intelligent and unmanned fracturing operations, providing robust technical support for the safe, efficient, and intelligent transformation and upgrade of the coal industry.

From precisely identifying tens-of-meters-thick hard roofs to remotely starting fracturing operations with a single click—the Mining Research Institute of CCTEG has built a new "technical defense line" for the safe production of thick and hard roof coal mines in the Inner Mongolia-Shaanxi region and nationwide. Moving forward, the Mining Research Institute of CCTEG will continue to deepen its work in mine rock control and disaster prevention, continuously advancing technological iteration and achievement transformation.