# China is unlocking a new energy frontier with coal rock gas extracted from deep within its coal basins.

*business · news · 2026-05-21 · The Economic Times*

## Key points

- China is the first and only country commercially developing coal rock gas (CRG) due to unique geology.
- PetroChina projects CRG output could reach 30 bcm by 2035, exceeding current shale gas levels.
- China's coal basins hold an estimated 13 trillion cubic metres of technically recoverable CRG reserves.
- PetroChina found CRG-rich layers in Australia, aiming to replicate Chinese techniques abroad.
- CRG development costs are higher than shale gas, but may drop as technology and integration improve.

**Companies:** PetroChina
**Countries:** China, Australia

[Read the full story on The Economic Times](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/business/deep-under-chinas-coal-basins-petrochina-is-unlocking-gas-from-rocks/articleshow/131239738.cms)

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