Against the backdrop of the global energy transition and the advancement of China’s “Dual Carbon” strategy, deep Coalbed Methane (CBM), as a highly promising unconventional natural gas resource, has become an important support for safeguarding national energy security. This paper systematically reviews the current status of deep CBM exploration and development in China, and conducts analyses from such dimensions as resource exploration achievements, key technological breakthroughs, and future exploration directions. Studies show that China possesses superior deep CBM resource endowments, with 100-billion-m3-scale gas fields discovered in basins such as Ordos Basin and Sichuan Basin. Innovations in exploration theories, drilling and completion, and fracturing technologies have broken through the traditional 1500-m development “depth limit”. Future efforts should focus on low-rank coal, deep thin coal seams, and other frontier areas, strengthening technological research and industrial collaboration. This paper aims to provide theoretical references and practical guidance for the large-scale and cost-effective development of deep CBM in China.
References
[1] Hao, J., Wang, Z., Liu, P. (2018) Current states of coalbed methane and its sustainability perspectives in China. International Journal of Energy Research, 42(11), 3454-3476.
[2] Tao, S., Chen, S., Pan, Z. (2019) Current status, challenges, and policy suggestions for coalbed methane industry development in China: a review. Energy Science & Engineering, 7(4), 1059-1074.
[3] Xu, F., Hou, W., Xiong, X., Xu, B., Wu, P., Wang, H., Feng, K., Yun, J., Li, S., Zhang, L., Yan, X., Fang, H., Lu, Q., Mao, D. (2023) The status and development strategy of coalbed methane industry in China. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 50(4), 765-783.
[4] Wang, B., Huang, Y., Zhang, D., Wang, H., Zheng, X., Liu, J., Wang, L., Huang, W., Chen, X., Hu, W., Liu, B., He, M., Zhou, W. (2024) Numerical modeling of deep coalbed methane accumulation in the central-eastern Ordos Basin, China. Natural Gas Industry B, 11(4), 405-419.
[5] Zheng, Y., Li, Q., Yuan, D., Zhang, G., Liu, J., Yuan, C., Tao, Q. (2018) Chemical structure of coal surface and its effects on methane adsorption under different temperature conditions. Adsorption, 24(7), 613-628.
[6] Zhu, C. J., Ren, J., Wan, J., Lin, B. Q., Yang, K., Li, Y. (2019) Methane adsorption on coals with different coal rank under elevated temperature and pressure. Fuel, 254, 115686.
[7] Li, Y., Wang, Z., Tang, S., Elsworth, D. (2022) Re-evaluating adsorbed and free methane content in coal and its ad-and desorption processes analysis. Chemical Engineering Journal, 428, 131946.
[8] Lu, S., Zhang, Y., Sa, Z., Si, S. (2019) Evaluation of the effect of adsorbed gas and free gas on mechanical properties of coal. Environmental Earth Sciences, 78(6), 218.
[9] Jia, Q., Liu, D., Cai, Y., Fang, X., Li, L. (2021) Petrophysics characteristics of coalbed methane reservoir: a comprehensive review. Frontiers of Earth Science, 15(2), 202-223.
[10] Zhang, K., Cheng, Z., Cheng, H., Wang, M., Qin, Q. (2022) Productivity test analysis of tight sandstone gas wells in Shenfu Block, Ordos Basin. Advances in Petrochemical Engineering and Green Development, 62-68.
[11] Jiang, L., Song, Y., Zhao, W., Bo, D., Liu, S., Hao, J. (2024) Main controlling factor of coalbed methane enrichment area in southern Qinshui Basin, China. Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, 14(1), 165-173.
[12] Yang, F., Li, B., Wang, K., Wen, H., Yang, R., Huang, Z. (2024) Extreme massive hydraulic fracturing in deep coalbed methane horizontal wells: a case study of the Linxing Block, eastern Ordos Basin, NW China. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 51(2), 440-452.
[13] Li, L., Liu, D., Cai, Y., Wang, Y., Jia, Q. (2020) Coal structure and its implications for coalbed methane exploitation: a review. Energy & Fuels, 35(1), 86-110.
[14] Zhu, Q., Yang, Y., Zuo, Y., Song, Y., Guo, W., Tang, F., Ren, J., Wang, G. (2020) On the scientific exploitation of high-rank CBM resources. Natural Gas Industry B, 7(4), 403-409.
[15] Zou, C., Yang, Z., Huang, S., Ma, F., Sun, Q., Li, F., Pan, S., Tian, S. (2019) Resource types, formation, distribution and prospects of coal-measure gas. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 46(3), 451-462.
[16] Zhang, L., Bai, T., Zhao, Q., Zhang, X., Cheng, H., Li, Z. (2023) CO2 injection for enhanced gas recovery and geo-storage in complex tight sandstone gas reservoirs. Processes, 11(7), 2059.
[17] Wu, Z., Feng, Q., Lian, L., Meng, X., Zhou, D., Luo, M., Cheng, H. (2024) Carbon dioxide oil repulsion in the sandstone reservoirs of Lunnan Oilfield, Tarim Basin. Energies, 17(14), 3503.
[18] Gao, D., Bi, Y., Xian, B. A. (2022) Technical advances in well type and drilling & completion for high-efficient development of CBM in China. Natural Gas Industry B, 9(6), 561-577.
[19] Ma, T., Liu, J., Fu, J., Wu, B. (2022) Drilling and completion technologies of coalbed methane exploitation: an overview. International Journal of Coal Science & Technology, 9(1), 68.
[20] Wang, L., Yao, N., Yao, Y., Wang, Y., Zhang, J., Fang, J., Wei, H. (2021) Research progress of drilling and borehole completion technologies in broken soft coal seam in underground coal mine. Coal Geology & Exploration, 49(1), 33.
[21] Cheng, H., Qin, Q. (2024) Research on the migration and settlement laws of backflow proppants after fracturing tight sandstone. Applied Sciences, 14(17), 7746.
[22] Zhao, J., Zhao, J., Hu, Y., Zhang, S., Huang, T., Liu, X. (2020) Numerical simulation of multistage fracturing optimization and application in coalbed methane horizontal wells. Engineering Fracture Mechanics, 223, 106738.
[23] Zhang, Y., Chen, J., Wu, Z., Xiao, Y., Xu, Z., Cheng, H., Zhang, B. (2024) Effect evaluation of staged fracturing and productivity prediction of horizontal wells in tight reservoirs. Energies, 17(12), 2894.
[24] Liang, W., Yan, J., Zhang, B., Hou, D. (2021) Review on coal bed methane recovery theory and technology: recent progress and perspectives. Energy & Fuels, 35(6), 4633-4643.
[25] Mohamed, T., Mehana, M. (2025) Coalbed methane characterization and modeling: review and outlook. Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 47(1), 2874-2896.
[26] Mondal, D., Han, S., Sang, S., Zhou, X., Zhao, F., Gao, W., Zhou, P., Zhang, J., Xu, A. (2024) Application of artificial neural network to evaluate coalbed methane exploration potential: a case study from Permian Longtan Formation, Shuicheng, Guizhou. Natural Resources Research, 33(2), 609-636.
[27] Feng, Q., Li, R., Jia, Y., Liang, Z. (2025) Big data and artificial intelligence-based optimization of petroleum exploration and reservoir modeling: Intelligent pathways for enhancing efficiency and accuracy. Advances in Resources Research, 5(2), 477-495.
[28] Li, L., Tang, D., Xu, H., Tao, S., Chen, S., Tang, S., Yao, H. (2022) Coalbed methane geology and exploration potential in large, thick, low-rank seams in the Bayanhua Sag of the Erlian Basin, northern China. Energy Exploration & Exploitation, 40(3), 995-1022.
[29] Xin, F., Xu, H., Tang, D., Yang, J., Chen, Y., Cao, L., Qu, H. (2019) Pore structure evolution of low-rank coal in China. International Journal of Coal Geology, 205, 126-139.
[30] Tao, S., Chen, S., Tang, D., Zhao, X., Xu, H., Li, S. (2018) Material composition, pore structure and adsorption capacity of low-rank coals around the first coalification jump: a case of eastern Junggar Basin, China. Fuel, 211, 804-815.
[31] Wang, B., Qin, Y., Shen, J., Zhang, Q., Wang, G. (2018) Pore structure characteristics of low-and medium-rank coals and their differential adsorption and desorption effects. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 165, 1-12.
[32] Kang, H., Wang, B., Gao, F., Zhang, Y., Fan, Z., Li, S., Xu, X., Chen, P. (2025) Current status and prospects of coal mining science and technology in China. GeoEnergy Communications, 1(1), 3.
Share and Cite
Qin, Q., Liu, H., Cheng, H. (2026) Exploration Status and Prospects of Deep Coalbed Methane in China. Scientific Research Bulletin, 3(1), 1-6. https://doi.org/10.71052/srb2024/FKHZ6128