How to Mitigate Methane Emission from Coal Mines in China

Abstract

China has large resources of coalbed methane (CBM) and high coal production. A great deal of CH4 is emitted from coal mines every year. More and more CH4 will be emitted in future. It is necessary to do what we can to mitigate coalmine methane (CMM) emission in China. Chinese government has paid great attention to CBM development and utilisation. Some incentive policies have been formulated. CMM extraction and Utilisation in China have a long history. In 1997, CMM production was over 700 Mm3. Because of lack of pipeline system, almost all drained CMM was used directly in mining areas without purification and most of it is supplied for civil use. The technology, equipment and management for CMM extraction and utilisation are poor, project size is small, recovery rate is low, and utilisation rate is even lower in China at the present. CBM recovery with surface wells began to be paid close attention to in the middle of 1980s. To the end of 1998, 136 CBM wells have been drilled. Now China has had a set of technologies and methods for CBM exploration and development and a general idea of resources and its distribution and reservoir conditions; it also has found target regions for CBM development. In some areas, high CBM production has been obtained. In order to mitigate CMM emission in China, we suggest: 1) to pay more attention to CBM when considering energy development strategy; 2) to develop CBM with surface wells to drive CMM extraction and utilisation; 3) to construct pipe network; 4) the international community should help China to develop and utilise CBM; 5) to formulate special incentive policies; 6) to market CMM resources.