Coal news and updates

Bharat Coking Coal steps on gas to save SER rly tracks

Bharat Coking Coal (BCCL) has started damage control measures to save the Katras-Chandrapura railway tracks under South Eastern Railway from underground fire following a missive from the Directorate General of Mines and Safety (DGMS).

The company, which intensified its protection measures on Friday, has resorted to nitrogen foaming to douse the fire and is also digging up trenches to stop the spread of flames.

"While the increased quantity of nitrogen will help surface areas to release heat energy for cooling the affected areas, trench cutting and filling up of tunnels or potholes will detach the ignited coal from the unaffected rocks," said BCCL general manager (safety) Surendra Singh on Saturday.

DGMS director S Bagchi, along with teams from BCCL and Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, inspected Govindpur south siding, where a BCCL coal mine is located, on July 2.

"Carbon-dioxide, CO and methane are among gases that are formed due to coal distillation. Nitrogen and oxygen in the air react with the gases to produce underground fire. Though measures to douse the fire were continuing for the past two months, we have increased the quantity of nitrogen foaming across the affected zone," Singh said.

source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com