Coal measure gas resources matter in China: Review, challenges, and perspective

Achieving the dual carbon goals of peaking by 2030 and neutrality by 2060 is significantly aided by the growth of coal measure gas research and development, especially for China to optimize its primary energy consumption. We critically review the distribution, geological characteristics, methods of liberation and then recovery by hydraulic fracturing of coal measure gas in China and present a roadmap to optimize this recovery. The gas-bearing system is the focus of this recovery, but this system is embedded within its sedimentary environment and modulated by tectonic and hydrogeological controls that affect gas exploration and recovery. However, to improve the development of coal measure gas in China, bottleneck problems remain to be solved, such as accurately predicting reservoir behavior in dessert regions, optimizing well patterns, and deploying optimal horizontal well trajectories. Additionally, the technology breakthroughs on deep co-production of coal measure gas, automatic fracturing and intelligent drainage are imminent. Basically, developing new techniques and conducting improved geological surveys are essential to ensure the sustainable supply of coal measure gas resource. Thus, this review presents a comprehensive introduction to coal measure gas resources in China, of utility to academic researchers and engineers in enhancing the understanding of the current situation and in projecting future development.