TAIYUAN - By the end of May, China's first large-scale coalbed methane field, the Daning-Jixian block in North China's Shanxi province, has seen its cumulative gas production exceed 3.6 billion cubic meters, equivalent to over 2.8 million tonnes of oil and gas, according to its developer.

This milestone makes it the country's first coalbed methane field to achieve such a cumulative oil and gas equivalent, according to PetroChina Coalbed Methane Co, Ltd.

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As an unconventional natural gas, coalbed methane is considered a clean and strategic energy resource. Its utilization can help reduce mining risks, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and ease gas shortages.

Shanxi holds abundant coalbed methane reserves, with an estimated 8.31 trillion cubic meters of resources buried at depths of less than 2,000 meters, nearly one-third of the national total.

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In recent years, with continuous breakthroughs in coalbed methane development technology, the production capacity of the Daning-Jixian block has been steadily increasing.

In 2024, the field's coalbed methane production reached 1.96 billion cubic meters, making it the world's first to have an annual output of 2 million tonnes of oil and gas equivalent.