China has abundant tar-rich coal resources.The use of in-situ pyrolysis can make a high efficiency and low-carbon utilization ofoil-rich coal and it also extends the recover depth of coal greatly. In-situ heating technology is the core technology of in-situ pyrolysis oftar-rich coal and its efficiency determines whether the in-situ pyrolysis of tar-rich coal is economical. The development status of conduction heating, convection heating, chemical heating, and radiation heating technology were introduced, their characteristics and applicability on tar-rich coal based on thermo-physical property and pyrolysis characteristic studies were discussed. The advices on high efficiencyprocess of in-situ heating were gived in the end. This paper argues that: ① Tar-rich coal has low thermal conductivity, high specificheat capacity and low thermal diffusion coefficient,and its main pyrolysis temperature range is 350-650 ℃ . Increasing the pyrolysis temperature of tar-rich coal is conducive to the production of combustible gases, especially H2. ② The conduction heating technology requireslong time to heat the coal,which efficiency is very low. Convective heating technology has high heat transfer efficiency and its heat-carrying medium is conducive to both heat transfer and tar production. The reaction stability of chemical heating technology is difficult to controland its heat conduction also depends on heat-carrying medium. The heating range in radiation heating technology is generally limited.③ Efficient heating technology, heat-carrying medium and heat transfer network are the high efficiency conditions of in-situ heating fortar-rich coal. Convection heating technology is recommended as the preferred technology for in-situ heating of tar-rich coal, steam as theheat carrying medium, and hydraulic fracturing as the preferred technology for coal seam fracturing.