Industrialization process is slow, to speed up the development and utilization of coalbed methane is imminent

From the theoretical level, China’s coalbed methane industry has become more mature, but the actual development and utilization is in the initial stage, the industrialization process is slow, still subject to mineral rights overlap, the lack of standards and other constraints. In view of the development and utilization of coalbed methane is of great significance, “13th Five-Year” period to speed up the development and utilization of coalbed methane is imminent.

Coalbed methane is a kind of unconventional natural gas associated with coal, also known as gas gas, the main component is methane (methane content> 85%). Reasonable development and utilization of coalbed methane, to improve China’s energy structure, reduce greenhouse effect, reduce the dependence on oil imports and so on is of great significance.

Coalbed methane

The development and utilization of coalbed methane not only help to solve the environmental pollution, but also to achieve the use of resources, with energy efficiency, safety benefits, environmental benefits and so on.

In particular, in the energy efficiency, coalbed methane clean, convenient, cheap, high calorific value; in terms of safety benefits, to prevent gas accidents; in environmental benefits, coal-bed methane does not produce harmful gases, reducing environmental hazards.

China is the world’s third largest coalbed methane resource, second only to Canada and Russia. It is estimated that China’s coalbed methane resources in about 30 ~ 36.8 trillion m3 or so, mainly in the Ordos, Jinzhongnan region, Turpan-Hami basin, Junggar Basin and so on.

Although the coalbed methane is rich in resources, but the actual development and utilization is lagging behind, according to the prospective industry research institute released the “China CBM industry economic evaluation and investment strategic planning analysis report” statistics, in 2014, China’s total annual output of coalbed methane is about 118 Billion m3, of which the ground pumping capacity of only 2.3 billion m3.

China’s coalbed methane not only the development of limited strength, and direct commercial utilization is low. This is mainly because the use of coalbed methane is the nearest consumption model, and focused on civilian, gas power generation, industrial raw materials and other fields.

On the other hand, the development and utilization of coalbed methane technical barriers, but also lead to industrial development is often blocked one of the important reasons. In the technology can not be completely resolved before the problem, the development and utilization of coalbed methane is still difficult to make great progress.

However, at home and abroad are increasing the development and utilization of coalbed methane technology research, such as has been announced the efficient production technology, coalbed methane catalytic cracking technology. With the technological progress, the development and utilization of coalbed methane is expected to be on the steps.

In general, coalbed methane has a bright future, but the development of more factors, slow progress in industrialization. To this end, China in the 13th Five-Year Plan, will accelerate the development of coalbed methane on a prominent position, and made the 2020 coalbed methane production of 40 billion cubic meters of the target.

The future with the specific implementation of the relevant policies, coalbed gas pipeline network to achieve a wide range of coverage, as well as technological innovation to bring the cost of decline, coalbed methane is expected to move towards rapid development.