Journal of Earth Science, Vol. 24, No. 3, p. 437–448, June 2013 ISSN 1674-487X Printed in China DOI: 10.1007/s12583-013-0340-3 Structural Controls on Coalbed Methane Reservoirs in Faer Coal Mine, Southwest China Ming Li (李明) School of Resource and Earth Science, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L3G1, Canada Bo Jiang* (姜波) School of Resource and Earth Science, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China; Key Laboratory of Coalbed Methane Resource and Reservoir Formation Process, Ministry of Education, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221008, China Shoufa Lin (林寿发) Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo N2L3G1, Canada Fengjuan Lan (兰凤娟), Jilin Wang (汪吉林) School of Resource and Earth Science, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China ABSTRACT: Guizhou (贵州) Province, Southwest China, is rich in coalbed methane (CBM) resources, wherein its geological structure is complicated. We discuss the occurrence characteristics of CBM based on CBM borehole test data and geological setting. In combination with the analysis of the regional tec- tonics, macro- and micro-scopic geological structures and pore size distributions, the structural controls on CBM reservoirs were further discussed from the aspects involving tectonic evolution, structural features, and deformation of coal. The results show that the CBM enrichment was mainly controlled by the regional tectonic subsidence and weak structural deformation on coal reservoirs after coal forma- tion. The Yangmeishu (杨梅树) syncline and topography are the main controlling factors to the current distribution pattern of CBM, which is higher in the north than the south and trending toward the NE direction. Normal faults and fractures can be divided into open, closed, and occluded types. The open type reduces both gas content and methane concentration of nearby coal seams. The closed type causes the decrease of gas content, while methane concentration is still high. The occluded type fail to reduces gas content, and even results in the enrichment of CBM in small areas near fault. Moderate brittle de- formation can improve the pore structure and development of structural fracture of coal reservoir. This study was supported by the National Science and Tech- nology Key Project of China (No. 2011ZX05034) and the Fun- damental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China (Nos. 2592012249 and 2013XK06). *Corresponding author: jiangbo@cumt.edu.cn © China University of Geosciences and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013 Manuscript received March 23, 2012. Manuscript accepted September 28, 2012. Cataclastic structural coals with well-developed fractures and relatively uniformly distributed pore structures are common in the Faer (发耳) coal mine, which are favorable for the produc- tion of CBM. KEY WORDS: coalbed methane, structure, fault, tectonically deformed coal, Faer coal mine. INTRODUCTION Structure plays an important role in the process of CBM reservoir formation and production (Jiang et