Development and utilization of coalbed methane abroad

Thread Content

Development of coalbed methane abroad 【Reprinted from Economic Reference News】 The United States was the first country in the world to begin surface development of coalbed methane, and it is also the country with the largest scale of development and the greatest success in this area. The United States began researching coalbed methane in the 1970s, and large-scale commercial development started in the 1980s. Current coalbed methane production areas include the San Juan Basin, Black Warrior Basin, Laton Basin, Appalachia, Powder River, Uinta, and other regions. 　　In 2001, the national production of coalbed methane in the United States reached 43.7 billion cubic meters, accounting for 8% of the country’s total natural gas production during that period ； In 2007, coalbed methane sales across the United States accounted for 8.7% of total natural gas sales. 　　The United States has made significant breakthroughs in areas such as the formation mechanisms of coalbed methane, its storage patterns, economic evaluation, and exploration and development technologies; it was the first country in the world to achieve commercial development of coalbed methane. In addition to its unique resource and technological advantages, it benefits to a large extent from support policies such as tax incentives and research funding for the commercial exploitation of coalbed methane. For example, the United States’ Energy Conservation and Recovery Act enacted in 1980, along with Section 29 on tax incentives established under it, was designed to encourage the production of unconventional fuels including coalbed methane; as a result, coalbed methane wells drilled between 1980 and 1992, as well as those started drilling by the end of 1992, were eligible for tax incentive policies until 2003. 　　Canada ranks second in the world in terms of its coalbed methane resources. The development of coalbed methane in this country started late, but it has seen rapid progress in recent years. This growth is mainly attributed to coiled tubing drilling technology and liquid nitrogen fracturing technology, both of which play a key role in the development of coalbed methane in Canada. The coalbed methane production areas in Canada are mainly located in Alberta in the west. 　　In terms of the utilization of coalbed methane, due to the well-developed gas pipeline network in the United States, especially in the mid-Atlantic and Eastern regions where such networks are extensive and highly widespread, the U.S. abolished in May 1992 the control that pipeline companies had over the market for the purchase and sale of natural gas. As a result, coalbed methane producers have multiple options for selling their gas, and they can freely choose their customers as well as the pipeline companies through which to deliver the gas. Therefore, most of the coalbed methane extracted in the U.S. is supplied to users via gas pipelines. 　　Gas power generation has been successfully utilized in Germany. The Ruhr region obtains coal mine gas with a methane concentration of 50% in Saarland each year for use in thermal power generation; the power generation technology involves the combined operation of gas turbines and steam engines. In 2003, a new container-based unit that integrates power supply, heating, and cooling functions using mine gas was developed.