Firm to explore gas resources in Guizhou

China United Coalbed Methane Corp Ltd, (Chinacbm) plans to explore resources in China's Southwest Guizhou province in an effort to lower reliance on coal and to fuel the nation's rapidly growing economy.

Wu Jianguang, vice-president of Chinacbm, said the company is aiming for an annual output of 1 billion cubic meters of coal-bed methane, the natural gas found in coal seams, in Liupanshui, a small city in Guizhou province, which is estimated to have up to 1.4 trillion cubic meters of CBM reserves.

That reserve accounts for 4 percent of the country's total reserves of coal-bed methane. Estimated at 36.8 trillion cubic meters, China holds the world's third-largest reserve after those in Russia and Canada.