*Article* **Study on Gas Migration Mechanism and Multi-Borehole Spacing Optimization in Coal under Negative Pressure Extraction**

**Feng Du 1,2, Weilong Cui 1,2 and Kai Wang 1,2,\***


**Abstract:** In order to study the gas migration in gas-bearing coal, and reasonably arrange gas drainage boreholes to improve the efficiency of gas drainage, a gas-solid coupling model is established based on the pore-fracture dual medium porous model. The solid deformation of coal body, gas seepage and diffusion, and gas adsorption and desorption are considered in this model. The COMSOL software is used to simulate the gas change in the coal matrix and coal fracture under single borehole extraction. We analyze the effective extraction range and study the migration mechanism of gas between coal fracture and borehole, coal matrix and coal fracture, and coal matrix. The effective extraction area of multi-borehole negative pressure gas extraction varies with extraction time and borehole spacing. At 140 d, the effective extraction radius is r = 1.3 m, and the spacing of boreholes is 2 √3 <sup>3</sup> r = 1.5 m, 2 r = 2.6 m, 4 m, 5 m, and 6 m, respectively. The influence of the equilateral triangle shape of three boreholes on the gas extraction effect is studied. The simulation results show that when three boreholes are extracted for 140 days under different borehole spacing, different gas extraction effects will be affected by a superposition effect. Considering the change in gas pressure, the effect of gas extraction in the effective extraction area, and the safety and cost performance of gas extraction, it is concluded that the optimal hole spacing is 5 m around 140 d. This study aims to provide reference for underground gas drilling layout and reasonable hole spacing.

**Keywords:** gas extraction; gas-solid coupling; gas migration mechanism; effective extraction area; borehole spacing
