The plane strain two-dimensional finite element model employing the method of negative reaction loading was used to model roof collapse and subsidence that result from underground coal gasification. Subsidence results from a preliminary finite element model were compared with those from a theoretical model having identical assumptions. The finite element model was extended to include dry zones of rock around the cavity resulting from the underground gasification. The model was further extended to include thermal loading, thermal softening and roof collapse. Roof collapse initiation and growth were modelled by examining the portion of the roof immediately above the cavity. A creep program utilizing the method incremental strains was developed and run in conjunction with the Pafec 70 program. The overburden rock was treated as a linear viscoelastic material having deformation parameters of the generalized Kelvin model. Finally, the finite element model was used to carry out a case history study of subsidence and roof collapse of an underground gasification field experiment in Wyoming.