Shanxi Province has got formal approval from the State Development and Reform Commission of its project of comprehensive extraction of coal bed gas (CBG), the largest of its kind in China, at a total investment of 2.065 billion yuan.

The province in north China is rich in coal bed gas reserve, but no more than 2 percent of them are actually exploited. It is estimated that the province's gas reserve in shallow layers alone could reach 10 trillion cubic meters, making up one third of the national total. Besides, they are highly exploitable and good in quality. If 500 million tons of coal are extracted annually throughout the province and each ton of coal contains an average 8 cubic meters of gas, then a total of 4 billion cubic meters of gas is wasted every year. The real figure nears 12 billion cubic meters (equivalent to 12 million tons of oil) considering that on average only 30 percent of coal beds are re-exploited. They also can be used to generate 36 billion kw/h electricity, or provide 35 billion cubic meters city gas, enough for almost all residents in the province. The exploitation of coal bed gas is also of great significance in reducing emission of green house gases, protecting atmospheric environment and preventing gas accidents.

A large part of the project fund is from foreign sources, including 117.4 million US dollars from Asia Development Bank. The project contains three programs--coal bed gas extraction and transmission at Qinshui coal mine, gas distribution and transmission in Jincheng city and power generation by gas at the same city. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the national "west-east gas transportation" project, those three trunk lines all running across the province, about1,700-kilometer-long pipelines will be laid down within the province to transmit coal bed gas extracted here to places as Beijing and Shanghai.

By People's Daily Online