As is known, the gas balance of a preparatory working consists of two main components: gas emission from the face and from the sides of the working. Therefore, the study of the patterns of gas emission from the exposed surfaces of the seam into the preparatory working is of great practical importance both for organizing the ventilation of the working during its development, and for determining the influence of gas emission from preparatory workings on the gas content and gas balance of the section and the mine.