China has achieved an initial success in using carbon dioxide enhanced coalbed methane (CBM) recovery technology from Canada to tap the country's huge CBM resources, a type of clean energy but also a major killer of miners every year.

Sun Maoyuan, president of China United Coalbed Methane Co Ltd, said a small pilot test carried out with the technology in a single CBM well in the south Qinshui basin of North China's Shanxi Province has been successful.

The test was completed earlier this year with a total of 193 tons of carbon dioxide injected into the targeted coal seam of the CBM well, he told China Daily in an exclusive interview.

A recent evaluation and simulation of the measured data from the test suggests the technology can be applied in the south Qinshui basin site to recover CBM, he said.

"Both the Chinese and the Canadian sides have agreed to conduct further multi-well pilot tests and to evaluate the commercial prospect of the CBM in the south Qinshui basin," he said.

The Canadian International Development Agency and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce signed a memorandum of understanding concerning the development of China's CBM technology/carbon dioxide sequestration project in Beijing on March 15, 2002.

The project aims to effectively exploit coalbed methane, while storing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, in unminable deep coal beds.

The project's budget includes Canada's contribution of 5 million Canadian dollar (US$4.2 million) and China's contribution of the same amount.

A Canadian executive agency, comprising the Canada Alberta Research Council, Canada Computer Modeling Group Ltd and Canada Sproule International Ltd, was responsible for the technology transfer, while the China United Coalbed Methane Corporation Ltd was designated by the Chinese side to provide geological, hydro-geological and geophysical data and other necessary materials.

"The carbon dioxide enhanced CBM technology has great potential for developing CBM resources that cannot be exploited by conventional means," Sun said.

Because of the stronger absorption ability of carbon dioxide than methane in coal beds, it uses injections of waste carbon dioxide from nearby energy production industries to cause the release of methane from the coal beds, while the carbon dioxide remains in the coal beds for geological time scales.

This enhances the recovery of CBM, and eliminates the release of the greenhouse gas to the atmosphere, he said.

China emits 6 billion cubic meters of methane from mines annually, seriously polluting the environment and wasting energy resources. Meanwhile, hundreds of coal miners are killed in gas explosion every year.

On the other hand, the country is plagued by an ever-increasing shortage of petroleum.

"China could tap coalbed methane as a new clean fuel source to achieve both ecological and economic benefits," Sun said.

To speed up the country's coalbed methane development, Sun's company was officially established in 1996.

The State Council has granted the firm the exclusive rights to explore, develop and produce coalbed methane in co-operation with overseas companies.

The government granted favorable policies to the Chinese company, including tax reductions, duty exemptions and the right to take decisions independently on investment and imports and exports.

China is estimated to have between 30 trillion and 35 trillion cubic meters of coalbed methane resources, which are located about 2,000 meters underground.

(China Daily December 11, 2004)