China is not meeting its target for the use of colliery gas which has reached just 23 percent in the first 10 months this year, falling short of the planned 36 percent, said sources with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) on Tuesday.

 

China has 36 trillion cubic meters of coal gas reserves, as much as its land-based natural gas reserves. But the abundant resource has yet to come into full use in the country.

 

Meanwhile, colliery gas blasts have become the primary killer of Chinese coal mine workers.

 

An unidentified official with the NDRC said 265 mine accidents have killed 987 people in the first 10 months of the year, down 26 percent and 42 percent respectively from the same period last year.

 

Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese government has issued a series of preferential policies in terms of taxation and loans to encourage the utilization of colliery gas in the country.

 

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2006)