article · Physics of Fluids
Coal measure gas development supports efforts to meet carbon peaking and carbon neutrality targets whilst optimising primary energy consumption. Gas-bearing systems are situated within sedimentary environments shaped by tectonic and hydrogeological factors that dictate both exploration and extraction conditions. Extraction relies on liberation and hydraulic fracturing techniques, but significant operational bottlenecks persist. These challenges include accurately predicting reservoir behaviour in arid regions, optimising well patterns, and deploying effective horizontal well trajectories. Addressing these issues requires technological advances such as deep co-production, automated fracturing, and intelligent drainage systems. Detailed geological surveys combined with new extraction techniques are vital to secure a sustainable resource supply and guide engineers and researchers in planning future energy developments.
Developing coal measure gas provides an avenue to optimise primary energy systems while progressing towards long-term carbon peaking and neutrality targets. Resolving current reservoir and extraction challenges helps engineers create more efficient recovery methods, ensuring a more stable and predictable energy supply.
The work addresses industrial applications in gas extraction and reservoir management, primarily for energy operators and extraction engineers. Relevant commercial tools include automated fracturing equipment, intelligent drainage controls, and well trajectory optimisation software. While standard hydraulic fracturing is already established, the highlighted deep co-production and automated technologies represent engineering solutions currently near deployment that require targeted technical breakthroughs for full commercial implementation.
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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.
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DOI: 10.1063/5.0218328
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