煤层气藏主要出现在晚古生代以来的几个成煤期,分布在大陆板块相对稳定区带的沉积构造盆地.煤层气的勘探开发方式与石油、常规天然气及煤炭虽有相近之处,但各成体系各有其法,煤层气勘探开发技术已经形成以地面垂向钻井开采为特征的现代煤层气勘探开发技术体系.我国煤层气产业刚刚崛起,已经实现了勘探试验的突破,开始进入区域勘探阶段.我国煤层气资源极为丰富,开发前景极为广阔,应当制定二十一世纪煤层气工业的发展目标和规划,合理布局整体部署,制定鼓励煤层气工业发展的政策,加大对煤层气勘探开发的投入,同时还应当积极对外合作,坚持科技进步,坚持依法勘探开发.“,”Coal bed gas is a combustible gas syngenetic and coexistent with coal measures by adsorption,being mainly composed of methane.Coal bed reservoirs which were mainly found in several coal forming periods since Late Paleozoic are distributed in the relatively stable sedimentary structural basins in continental plate and they are coexistent with the coal,oil and conventional gas in the basins.Although their reservoir formation conditions are related to each other,some difference can be found in them and the rules of forming reservoir are varied;although the exploration and development methods for the coal bed gas are similar to those for the oil,conventional gas and coal,the working systems and means are different from each other.A modern coal bed gas exploration and development technical system of taking surface production by drilling as its core has been formed.The coal gas industry is just rising in China a breakthrough at the exploration test having been made and the regional exploration stage being beginning.The target and plan of developing the coal gas industry in the twenty first century should be drawn up because the coal bed gas resources are very abundant in China and a vast range of prospects for developing these resources is opened up.It is necessary to reasonably dispose,to make up the policies to encourage developing the coal bed gas industry,to enlarge the investment in the coal bed gas exploration and development,to actively cooperate with other countries and to insist upon the scientific and technological progress and according to law exploration and development.