CBM to play vital role in energy mix

China is stepping up the exploration and development of coalbed methane, or CBM, as a vital strategic move to optimize its energy mix and ensure domestic gas supply, buoyed by a newly unveiled government roadmap targeting massive production boosts in the nation's resource-rich heartland.

The National Energy Administration has released an action plan for increasing reserves and the production of CBM in the eastern Ordos Basin, aiming to comprehensively upgrade the region's extraction capacity during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). The plan is designed to transform the basin into a world-class production base characterized by improved efficiency and core technological breakthroughs.

CBM is an unconventional natural gas found in coal deposits. According to the NEA, the industry's scale has expanded rapidly in recent years, yielding significant economic and environmental benefits. The Ordos Basin, with its extensive coal-bearing strata and high gas content, is uniquely positioned to lead this frontier.

Under the new plan, the region is projected to add over 600 billion cubic meters of proven geological reserves by 2030. Annual production is slated to reach 18 billion cu m, of which over 16 billion cu m will be drawn specifically from deep-layer CBM.

To achieve this, the NEA has vowed to accelerate resource discovery in key reserve-building blocks, expand the exploration scope in active areas and aggressively push for breakthroughs in untapped zones.

Moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach, the administration has outlined a highly tailored strategy. It prioritizes a tiered capacity-building system — expanding new fields while stabilizing mature ones — and unites industry and academia to shatter technical bottlenecks.

Furthermore, the government is reinforcing pipeline networks and land-use policies to guarantee the gas is "produced efficiently and delivered smoothly".

The confidence to execute this ambitious blueprint stems largely from monumental breakthroughs already achieved at the Daji Gas Field in Shanxi province. Geologically situated on the eastern fringe of the Ordos Basin, Daji is China's largest CBM field and the nation's first large-scale demonstration project for the resource.

Compared with conventional natural gas, deep-layer CBM is notoriously difficult to extract due to complex subterranean conditions. For years, these deep layers were considered a geological "forbidden zone".

However, following a targeted technological campaign launched by China National Petroleum Corp in 2019, the field produced its first industrial gas flow from the Daji 3-7 well.

Industry experts believe advancements in exploration and production technology have played a central role in this self-sufficiency.

Continuous investments by the country's three major energy giants — China National Petroleum Corp, China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, and China National Offshore Oil Corp — have led to significant discoveries across traditional and unconventional fields, they said.

"China has been tapping into unconventional resources in recent years to expand its energy supply, with significant advancements in shale gas exploration and CBM extraction already reshaping China's resource landscape," said Wu Mouyuan, vice-president of the Economics and Technology Research Institute under CNPC.

Unconventional resources like CBM will not only enhance self-sufficiency, but also provide a buffer against external market uncertainties, unleashing vast new potential in the coming decades, Wu said.