The output of coalbed methane in the North China Oilfield has been steadily increasing with a strong momentum.

Entering February, the daily output of coalbed methane in the Qinsi Coalbed Methane Field of Huabei Oilfield has remained above 7.2 million cubic meters, maintaining a high-level operation state. Following the achievement of a total annual output of 2.6 billion cubic meters of coalbed methane in 2024, equivalent to 2.07 million tons of crude oil, and the establishment of a domestic medium-shallow coalbed methane field with an annual output of 2 million tons of equivalent resources, this year, the annual output of the Qinsi Coalbed Methane Field is expected to reach new heights, providing strong support for the stable supply of natural gas in the North China region.
Self-reliance in science and technology, plucking the "thorny rose". Compared with conventional natural gas and deep coal rock gas, medium-shallow coalbed methane faces industry challenges such as "having gas but unable to extract it, and extracting it but without benefits". The root cause lies in weak basic research and the inability to afford "complex technologies" and the ineffectiveness of "simple technologies", which led to the domestic coalbed methane industry once falling into a stagnant situation. Facing this technological predicament, Huabei Oilfield adhered to high-level self-reliance in science and technology, relying on major national science and technology projects, and collaborating with domestic leading research institutions and related units. They challenged the problems of the coalbed methane industry and innovatively formed six key development technologies such as detailed evaluation of high-grade coal in the Qinsi Basin and the stratified drainage and production process. They received the National Science and Technology Progress Award and gained strong industry influence and discourse power. After technological innovation and upgrading, the capacity utilization rate of coalbed methane in the gas field increased from 50% during the "12th Five-Year Plan" period to over 90% during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, and the single-well production increased by more than double, with the proportion of horizontal wells per million cubic meters of well significantly increased.
Striving for excellence, polishing the "profitable jade". Huabei Oilfield started from meticulous and lean management, continuously promoting gas field management refinement, digitalization transformation, and market-oriented operation, reducing management costs and achieving efficient development. Its management achievements won the first prize of the National Management Modernization Innovation Award. With the goal of increasing the gas output per well, deepening the development adjustment of the old area and detailed management of old wells, the daily gas output reached a peak of over 7.5 million cubic meters in 2024. Integrating digital information technology into the entire process of gas field production and development, it built the largest digital-scale coalbed methane field in China, significantly reducing the total number of workers and labor costs. Adopting a market-oriented mechanism, strengthening cooperative development, effectively reducing production and construction costs, and the average well construction cost per horizontal well remained at the industry's lowest level.
Setting lofty goals, tackling the "super gas field". As an important resource for energy supply security, Huabei Oilfield regards coalbed methane as a key resource and aims to build a domestic super-scale and high-benefit coalbed methane field. Since achieving large-scale development in 2009, by 2018, it took 10 years to cross the 1 billion cubic meters threshold, and another 5 years to reach 2 billion cubic meters, and by 2023, it achieved an annual output of 2.25 billion cubic meters. In 2024, the annual output of coalbed methane will increase by 350 million cubic meters, maintaining the largest medium-shallow coalbed methane field in China. In the future, Huabei Oilfield will adhere to the development strategy of "developing Qinsi, exploring deep layers, and expanding periphery", actively creating a complementary and substitutable pattern of high, medium, and low coal grades of coalbed methane resources, and striving to become the "technology leader and industry leader" of domestic medium-shallow coalbed methane.