China's National Energy Administration (NEA) has outlined plans to accelerate coalbed methane (CBM) development in the eastern Ordos basin, targeting a significant increase in proven reserves and production by 2030.

The plan aims to boost proven geological CBM reserves in the region by over 600 billion cubic meters from the end of the 14th "Five-Year Plan" period, with total output reaching 18 billion cubic meters by 2030, including over 16 billion cubic meters from deep seams.

The eastern Ordos basin, spanning parts of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, has already seen initial CBM production bases established east of the Yellow River and west of the Luliang Mountains by the end of the 14th "Five-Year Plan" period, the NEA said.

The 15th "Five-Year Plan" period has seen expanded exploration into the broader eastern Ordos region, covering cities including Linfen, Luliang and Xinzhou in Shanxi, Yulin, Yan'an and Weinan in Shaanxi, and Ordos city in Inner Mongolia, according to an NEA official.

The plan outlines four key tasks: classified resource exploration, phased capacity construction, enhanced technological support and improved supporting infrastructure.

For resource exploration, major blocks will be categorized into priority, active and potential reserve growth zones with differentiated work targets. Capacity construction will focus on improving resource recovery rates, with blocks classified for continuous expansion, sequential development and stable output from mature areas.

The plan also calls for strengthened research collaboration, improved technical standards and enhanced industry training. Infrastructure support will target pipeline construction, mineral resource policy backing and land, water and electricity supply guarantees.

Implementation responsibilities are assigned across CBM enterprises, local authorities and national agencies, with central state-owned enterprises expected to take a leading role in exploring effective cooperation models with local governments.