中国南方多、薄煤层叠置条件下煤层气资源丰富，是我国煤层气勘探开发的重要接替区，近年来煤层气产业取得长足进展，但要实现全面效益开发仍面临诸多挑战。为进一步助推煤层气产业快速发展，总结南方煤层气主要地质特点，梳理勘探开发现状与进展，基于存在问题提出开发对策。

结果表明：南方地区煤层气资源丰富，具有“煤层层数多而薄、累厚大、中−高热演化、高含气，深部高饱和、富含游离气；构造条件与煤体结构复杂”典型特征。勘探开发经历了资源调查与技术借鉴(1989—2009年)、技术探索(2010—2020年)与技术升级及深部煤层气攻关(2021年至今) 3个阶段，当前正处于南方深部煤层气地质理论认识提升、适应性有效支撑压裂技术升级优化阶段，有望支撑南方煤层气快速发展。

针对南方煤层气地质特点，提出“加大地震勘探投入，优选构造稳定区，边评价边建产，井组式滚动开发；优化产层组合实施多层大规模压裂合采；优选主力煤层实施水平井分段压裂；加快深部煤层气勘探评价”4项开发建议。发挥多煤层优势、实施有效支撑压裂改造、加快深部煤层气地质评价与选区是南方煤层气走向规模化开发的重要途径。

South China contains abundant coalbed methane (CBM) resources from numerous, superimposed, thin coal seams, serving as a significant replacement for China’s CBM exploration and production in the future. Despite significant progress in recent years, the CBM industry still faces several challenges in comprehensive and effective production. To accelerate its development, this study summarizes the primary geological characteristics of CBM resources in South China, organizes the current status and advances in CBM exploration and production in this region, and proposes corresponding technical strategies.

The results indicate that the abundant CBM resources in South China exhibit coal seams characterized by numerous thin layers, a considerable cumulative thickness, moderate to high thermal maturity, high gas content, high saturation in deep parts, and abundant free gas, as well as complex tectonic conditions and coal structures. The exploration and production of these resources have undergone three stages: resource surveys and technology reference (1989‒2009), technological exploration (2010‒2020), and technical upgrades and tackling challenges in deep CBM (2021‒the present). Notably, the current exploration and production are in the stage of enhancing of the understanding and geological theories on deep CBM, along with upgrading and optimizing the adaptive fracturing with fractures effectively propped. These are expected to contribute to the rapid development of the CBM industry in South China.

Based on the geological characteristics of CBM in South China, this study proposes four suggestions for CBM development: (1) It is necessary to intensify seismic exploration efforts, select optimal tectonically stable areas, conduct production capacity construction while assessing, and implement rolling production based on well groups. (2) It is recommended to implement large-scale commingled production of multiple coal seams by optimizing pay zone combinations. (3) Multistage fracturing of horizontal wells should be adopted for dominant coal seams. (4) It is necessary to advance the exploration assessment of deep CBM resources. Significant pathways to large-scale CBM production in South China include taking advantage of multiple coal seams, implementing reservoir stimulation through fracturing with fractures effectively propped, and accelerating geological assessment and target area selection of deep CBM resources.