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? On March 12, CNPC and Yunnan Provincial Government inked a strategic cooperation framework agreement on Coal-bed Methane (CBM) exploitation in Beijing. It is reported that Yunnan Province has proven coal reserves ranking 7th among the 27 provinces and autonomous regions in China, with the volume of CBM resources that buried shallower than 2000 meters ranking 9th. At present, the whole province's coal output is about 90 million tons per annum with the discharge volume of mine gas amounting to 0.9 million to 1.2 million tons of coals. Only 1% of the gas has been utilized. CNPC will take advantages of its technology, person, management and fund to make breakthroughs in the development and utilization of Yunnan CBM, so as to improve safety performance and resource exploitation of Yunnan's coal industry, and to promote the sustainable development of CNPC's CBM business. Yunnan Provincial Government promises to provide all-out support to CNPC's projects and operations in Yunnan area as they always do