Gas Content and Structure of Coal in Donets Basin

The integrated study of coal is performed using methods of optical and electron paramagnetic resonances, infrared spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. It is found that gas content of coal is governed by the rank of coal and its material constitution as well as by the coal bed structure at the macro-, micro- and nano-levels which interwork. It is discovered that the size and amount of bubbles, of paleo-origin presumably, and the content of coalbed methane are related. The influence of each scale level of the coal bed structure on the gas content is revealed. The authors illustrate benefits of the integrated study of gasbearing coal with the physical methods that complement one the other at different levels of coal structure.