Abstract: In order to explore the effective method of gas drainage by borehole to replace gateway, to solve the problem of large work quantity and high economic cost in high drainage roadway in Duanshi Coal Mine, it is pointed out that the roof directional long borehole can replace the high drainage roadway to control gas in goaf. FLAC^3Dnumerical simulation was used to determine that from 15 m to 45 m above the roof of No.3 coal seam was the best extraction stratum. Based on the directional drilling trajectory control technology, the hole formation test was carried out in 3019 working face of Duanshi Coal Mine. The results show that the drilling trajectory can be implemented according to the preset parameters, with the hole forming diameter up to 153 mm and the hole forming depth over 420 m. When the hole get into stable extraction stage, the average volume fraction of gas extraction is 18%, the average gas extraction purity is 8.7 m³/min, the gas drainage rate in working face reaches 36.7% under the condition of borehole extraction, and the gas volume fraction of upper corner in working face is under 0.50%, the problem of gas over limit is solved. Compared with the technology of high drainage roadway, the cost of directional long borehole in roof is reduced by 62.5% and the construction period is shortened by 50%, which verifies the rationality and feasibility of gas drainage by borehole to replace gateway.