At the recent "15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30)" news conference hosted by the Shanxi Provincial Energy Administration, Director Zhang Xiang announced ambitious goals for the province's unconventional natural gas industry. By 2030, Shanxi aims to reach a production volume of 30 billion cubic meters and a market value exceeding 100 billion yuan ($14.9 billion), turning its gas resources into industrial and developmental strengths.

To ensure stable resource supply, the province will focus on maximizing resource potential and enhancing efficiency. Key strategies include detailed evaluations of remaining shallow coalbed methane resources and redeveloping old wells in Jincheng, Changzhi, and Jinzhong, strengthening the province's production base.

To expand and improve capacity, efforts will focus on increasing reserves and production of deep coalbed methane in Linfen and Lyuliang, establishing a multi-layered, multi-block development framework, and creating new growth engines for provincial output.

For industrial support and upgrades, Shanxi will pursue localized strategies to promote differentiated development across Taiyuan, Jincheng, and Linfen's industrial equipment parks, aiming to build a strong industrial chain for coalbed methane equipment manufacturing.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period", Shanxi's unconventional natural gas industry, particularly coalbed methane, achieved significant production milestones, reaching a cumulative output of 75.1 billion cu m – a 155 percent increase from the previous five-year plan – contributing substantially to national energy security and economic development.