Nine vertical wells were drilled from the surface to the Blue Creek coalbed at US Steel's Oak Grove Mine as part of a study to measure dynamic coalbed reservoir conditions near mine workings. Three of the wells were installed in advance of mining and equipped to measure changes in fluid saturation; three wells were installed in advance of mining and produced to measure changes in gas and water production; and three wells were installed, stimulated, and produced. The results of the six unstimulated wells in advance of mining indicated an advancing mine face affects a small area of the coalbed ahead of the face. If the face remains stationary for a period of time, methane production continues to increase while water production decreases indicating the coalbed area affected by the face increases with time. The three production wells were stimulated with 50,000 gallons of foam. Two wells had proppant materials omitted, while one well had 10,000 pounds of 20/40 mesh sand added as proppant. Gas production from the two nonpropped wells was unsatisfactory, 12,000 and 27,000 cubic feet per day. Gas production from the well with the small amount of proppant was satisfactory, 49,000 cubic feet per day. Analysis of the gas production data was complicated by a number of variables: (1) interception of one wing of one of the hydraulic fractures 1-1/2 months after gas production started, (2) the approach of mining, and (3) the short gas production life. Inspection of the mine in the areas at the bottom of two of the stimulated wells indicated that (1) the unpropped stimulation created a short, narrow hydraulic fracture, (2) the propped stimulation created a long hydraulic fracture of substantial width. This indicates that proppant may be required to prevent closure of the fracture which is necessary for maximum gas production. 18 references, 18 figures, 15 tables.