Prefeasibility study—Geotechnical studies for introducing longwall top coal caving in Indian mines

Longwall Top Coal Caving (LTCC), a relatively newer technology in India, is an underground mining method developed for thick seam extraction. Various factors and systematic approaches are to be considered and properly evaluated in order to qualify and gain confidence in the assessment of introducing LTCC mining method. The proposed paper presents the various processes involved in designing a LTCC technology in one of the mine sites at Singareni Coal Company Limited (SCCL), India. The project undertook a comprehensive analysis of geological and geophysical data of the mine site and developed detailed geotechnical frameworks for the assessment of LTCC technology.