The Daji Gas Field in north China's Shanxi Province, the country's largest coalbed methane field, has exceeded an annual production capacity of 4 billion cubic meters, serving as a key new source for national natural gas supply. Since the start of this year, 16 new wells have been drilled, adding 250 million cubic meters to the annual capacity, with daily output surpassing 11 million cubic meters, up 32% year-on-year.
The Daji Gas Field serves as China's first demonstration project for coalbed methane development. Coalbed methane is an unconventional natural gas resource that exists in adsorbed or free form within deep underground coal seams, typically buried more than 1,500 meters below the surface. Compared with conventional natural gas, coalbed methane resources are buried deeper and involve more complex geological conditions, making extraction technically challenging. For years, such deep layers were considered a 'forbidden zone' for oil and gas exploration.
In 2019, China National Petroleum Corporation launched a technological breakthrough program that led to the first industrial gas flow from the Daji 3-7 well. In December 2021, the Jishen 6-7 well produced more than 100,000 cubic meters per day, marking a major milestone in efficient coalbed methane development.
With an average burial depth of about 2,130 meters and proven geological reserves of 400 billion cubic meters, the Daji Gas Field is China's first large-scale coalbed methane field. It now accounts for more than 80% of the country's total coalbed methane output, contributing significantly to energy security.
