▲ Drilling operations are underway at Yanchang Petroleum’s Yandong coalbed methane field.
On July 13, Yanchang Group announced that the proved reserves of the Yandong coalbed methane (CBM) field, submitted by the company, passed the review and filing of the Ministry of Natural Resources, with geological reserves of approximately 53.7 billion cubic meters. Shaanxi Province has gained another large deep CBM field.
The Yandong CBM field, located in Yanchang County and Yichuan County, is the first large deep CBM field proved by a provincial-level enterprise in Shaanxi. Its burial depth exceeds 2,000 meters, and it is a typical “self-sourced and self-stored” deep CBM reservoir. According to expert assessments, the proved reserves of the Yandong CBM field provide a foundation for building an annual production capacity of 800 million to 1 billion cubic meters of CBM.
A CBM field is essentially a “natural gas field” hidden in coal seams, with methane as its main component, commonly known as “gas”. After extraction and utilization, CBM can become a clean fuel, not only ensuring coal mine safety but also serving as an energy source.
Due to its deep burial and complex geological conditions, extraction of deep CBM is extremely difficult. The research team of Yanchang Petroleum innovatively proposed a new accumulation theory and optimized drilling and production plans accordingly. In 2024, its deployed Well Chang‑91‑X1 (a directional well) performed excellently in single‑layer gas testing, with a maximum daily gas production exceeding 106,000 cubic meters, setting a new national record for the highest daily production from a vertical/directional well in deep CBM.
After more than three years of research, the Yanchang Petroleum team clarified the rules of deep CBM enrichment and accumulation in the southeastern Ordos Basin, developed an integrated drilling‑fracturing‑production process system applicable to various well types, and achieved historic breakthroughs in single‑well production.
Shaanxi is a major province for coal resource reserves and production, with CBM resources mainly distributed in mining areas. In 2023, CNOOC discovered a large CBM field—the Shenfu Deep CBM Giant Field—in Yulin, northern Shaanxi, with geological reserves exceeding 110 billion cubic meters. This was the first discovery of a hundred‑billion‑cubic‑meter deep CBM field in China. In March this year, Shaanxi issued implementation opinions on further accelerating CBM (coal mine gas) extraction and utilization, making it clear that it will increase financial support, strengthen development and utilization management, improve pricing and grid‑connection policies, and accelerate technological innovation to boost CBM development and utilization in the province, thereby providing greater support for national energy security.
Post time: Jul-16-2026