China's coal-rich province registers record annual output of unconventional natural gas

Aerial photo taken on July 10, 2022 shows a view of the Xiaohe National Wetland Park in Xiaoyi City, north China's Shanxi Province. (Photo by Wu Jinzhou/Xinhua)

TAIYUAN, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- The annual output of unconventional natural gas in north China's coal-rich Shanxi Province increased by 20.2 percent year on year to 11.33 billion cubic meters in 2022, a record high.

Unconventional natural gas mainly includes shale gas, coalbed methane, and tight sandstone gas.

Data show Shanxi has an estimated reserve of 8.31 trillion cubic meters of coalbed methane within 2,000 meters below ground, accounting for about 30 percent of the country's total. The proven reserve of coalbed methane stands at 667.5 billion cubic meters.

Shanxi aims to become a national unconventional natural gas base in the province's 14th five-year development plan (2021-2025), according to the provincial bureau of statistics.