Abstract The Ordos Basin is located in northwest China, where there is perennial drought, little rainfall, and a fragile ecological environment. Recently, operators have increased their exploration and production efforts on a deep coalbed methane (CBM) reservoir [true vertical depth (TVD) >2000 m], which is the cornerstone to ensure the continued growth of regional production capacity. Because of the huge amount of water used by the current practice of fracturing, the challenge is to find an alternative way of fracturing with less water consumption while further improving post-fracturing performance. In this paper we describe a case study over a 2-year trial period of applying carbon dioxide (CO2) foam fracturing technology in several horizontal wells of deep CBM in the Ordos Basin. More than half of the water-based fracturing fluid is replaced with CO2—with the help of a foaming agent and the turbulence effect in the treatment string during operation, a uniform CO2 foam fluid can be formed and used as proppant-laden fluid. After overcoming the equipment complexity and operation difficulty, the trial is accomplished flawlessly and post-fracturing production is doubled compared to an offset well using conventional fracturing. The satisfying gas production performance has verified the features of CO2 foam fracturing, such as a more complex fracture network, methane displacement effect, post-fracturing flowback enhancement, and less formation damage. During the trial, the operator also gained a series of valuable block development experiences. These included the following: 1) through a detailed core test, a fluid system suitable for deep CBM development was found, which not only meets the requirements of a CO2 foam fracturing job, but also can better release the reservoir potential. 2) A standard work procedure for the application of CO2 foam fracturing in deep CBM of Ordos Basin has also been established, including operational parameters, well completion, proppant strategy, pumping schedule, CO2 operating procedure, and emergency fracturing plan. 3) Unlike the conventional development mode of deep CBM, a long-time well shut-in before the well starts to flow back is needed for the CO2 foam fracturing job, and the standard procedure of well shut-in is also developed. Achieving balance between project profit and resource consumption and carbon emission has become a hot topic. The operational experience and findings described in this paper may be well adapted to other blocks with similar reservoir types and development plans.