Objective In China, the deep coalbed methane (CBM) industry has emerged as a key sector for the reserve growth and production addition of natural gas. However, the current CBM technical standard system, which was developed based on shallow CBM practices, is incompatible with the demands for the exploration and development of deep CBM. To address this challenge, this study proposes the optimization paths of the current standard system, aiming to provide standardization support for large-scale exploitation of deep CBM.

Methods  Deep CBM reservoirs exhibit complex geological conditions of high temperature, pressure, and in-situ stress, as well as the CBM occurrence and recovery characteristics, including the coexistence of adsorbed and free gas, gas production through fracturing, and high energy and production. Given these characteristics, this study systematically analyzes the specific impacts in four dimensions encountered by the current standard system: geological exploration and evaluation, techno-economic requirements, risks of safety and environmental protection, and industrial collaborative management. In combination with the challenges and unique nature of deep CBM exploration and exploitation, this study establishes the optimization paths of the current standard system.

Results The results indicate that, while being rooted in the existing standard system, developing the standard system for deep CBM should focus on three major bottlenecks related to geological evaluation, technological innovation, and risk control and tackle challenges in formulating key standards for fine-scale reservoir characterization, among others. Four optimization paths are proposed: reforming geological standards, innovating techno-economic standards, developing a three-in-one environmental protection standard system that integrates prevention, control, and restoration, and promoting cross-domain standard coordination.

Conclusions The proposed four optimization paths can effectively overcome the incompatibility between current standards and the exploration and development of deep CBM, thereby providing robust standardization support for safe, efficient, and large-scale deep CBM exploitation in China.