Resonant Activation of Oxygen as a Hypothetical Method for Low-Temperature Oxidation of Methane in Coal Seams: Theoretical Analysis, Parametric Modeling, and Regime Maps

Olga N. Shagarova 

This paper presents a comprehensive theoretical study of a hypothetical method for low-temperature oxidation of methane directly within a coal seam. The method is based on resonant excitation of molecular oxygen by an electromagnetic field at ∼1.6 MHz, corresponding to its EPR transition in the Earth's geomagnetic field. The work includes calculation of a priori determinable parameters (resonant frequencies for Kuzbass conditions, signal penetration depth), analysis of literature data on natural iron-containing catalytic centers in coals, development of a complete parametric mathematical model of the process, and construction of regime maps and nomograms. Parametric modeling across 10 orders of magnitude identifies the boundary of practical significance: n_act·P_diss = 10⁹ m⁻². For typical Kuzbass coals (σ≈0.01 S/m), the effective treatment radius is ∼20 m at 50 kW power, yielding a zone volume of ∼25000 m³. The main result is not proof of the method's feasibility (impossible without experiment), but the creation of a theoretical framework for its targeted experimental verification, including quantitative criteria for the region of practical significance and identification of critical risks such as hydrogen accumulation, which requires a forced gas extraction system for any practical implementation.