Oil & Gas Geology ›› 2005, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (2): 141-146,154.doi: 10.11743/ogg20050202

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Geological features and resource potentials of coalbed methane basins in China

Sun Wanlu, Chen Zhaoyou, Chen Xia, Wang Shuhua, Fu Xiaoyun   

  1. North China Branch Company of SINOPEC, Zhengzhou, Henan
  • Received:2005-01-09 Online:2005-04-25 Published:2012-01-16

Abstract:

Coal basins in Chinese mainland are mainly distributed in Tarim-North China plate, South China plate and the relatively stable landmasses and land blocks in Junggar-Xing'an active belt, and have mainly been formed in Permo-Carboniferous, Late Triassic-Early Cretaceous and Tertiary. They can be divided into intraplate cratonic basins and intracontinental rift-depression basins according to their locations in tectonic domain and sedimentary structural features. Reservoiring of coalbed methane in coal basins have been controlled by the following factors:(1) formation, distribution and quality of coals have been controlled by palaeoclimate, fossil plant, palaeogeography, palaeostructure and depositional environment; (2) tectonic deformation has controlled directly the entire sealing conditions of the basins and influenced the burial depth of coal beds and filtration properties of coal reservoirs; (3) degree of metamorphism has influenced both the amount of coalbed methane generated from coal and the filtration properties of coal beds; (4) sealing and hydrodynamic conditions would have determined the preservation of coalbed methane reservoirs. The prospective coalbed methane resources in China have been estimated to be 20TCM (trillion cubic meters).

Key words: coalbed methane basin, geologic features, resource potential

CLC Number: