Abstract: The width of coal pillar is an important factor affecting the stability of surrounding rock of gob-side entry driving with extra-thick coal seam by full-mechanized mining. Taking the return airway of 8211 working face as engineering background, the reasonable width of coal pillar was studied through theoretical analysis and numerical simulation, and the pillar width was determined as 8 m. The controlling difficulty of surrounding rock in gob-side entry driving was analyzed under the narrow coal pillar. The asymmetric support scheme was confirmed by combining the actual productive geological conditions. The field test shows that the control effect of the surrounding rock is good, and it has good economic and social benefits.