China's 26 trillion cubic shale gas development

China Investment Advisory Network News shale gas has emerged as a new bright spot in the exploration and development of global oil and gas resources.

Relevant experts believe that in the current context of energy shortage, China should formulate long-term plans for shale gas exploration and development as soon as possible, strengthen strategic investigation of shale gas resources, increase shale gas exploration and development technology level, and accelerate the construction of relevant technical standards and norms. Advance shale gas exploration and development.

Shale gas resources have become the new darling of the world's new energy field

Shale gas refers to the natural gas that occurs in the shale system. It is a new type of energy resource that is composed of coalbed gas and tight sandstone gas and constitutes the world's three most unconventional natural gas. According to predictions, the world's shale gas resources amount to 456 trillion cubic meters, mainly distributed in North America, Central Asia and China, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America, the former Soviet Union and other regions, and is equivalent to conventional natural gas.

The earliest research, exploration and development of shale gas resources in the world began in the United States. In 1821, the first shale gas well was drilled in the eastern United States, and the shale gas exploration and development zone in the 1970s extended to the Midwestern United States. In the 1990s, shale gas became an important area for exploration and development driven by policies, prices, and technological advances in development. At present, the United States and Canada are two major countries in the development of shale gas scale. In addition, shale gas research and exploration and development have also started in Australia, Germany, France, Sweden, and Poland.

Zhang Dawei, deputy director of the Oil and Gas Resources Strategic Research Center of the Ministry of Land and Resources, said that in recent years, as society’s demand for clean energy continues to expand and natural gas prices continue to rise, people’s geological understanding of shale gas continues to increase, and horizontal wells and fracturing technologies continue to increase. As we progress, shale gas exploration and development is expanding from North America to the world. Shale gas has emerged from the unconventional gas and has become a new bright spot for exploration and development of global oil and gas resources, and it has gradually evolved to a full range of changes. The resulting upsurge of the oil industry will surely reshape the new pattern of exploration and development of oil and gas resources in the world. Accelerating the exploration and development of shale gas resources has become the common choice of major shale gas resources in the world.

Shale gas exploration and development in China is just starting

According to Zhang Dawei, China's shale gas is rich in geological conditions and has the same shale gas prospects and development potential as the United States. At present, China's shale gas resources survey and exploration and development are still in the initial stage of exploration. Up to now, their potential has not yet been fully estimated. The favorable target areas for shale gas resources need to be further implemented, and exploration and development are in a “blank” state. According to experts' estimates, China's shale gas recoverable resources amount to approximately 26 trillion cubic meters. Zhang Dawei said that as a new energy field, shale gas exploration and development will help improve China's energy composition. In particular, the southern region of China has a large population and developed industrial economy. Energy demand is abundant. Shale gas exploration and development will undoubtedly have important socio-economic implications. It has a positive impact on the improvement of China's energy supply and demand structure.

Zhang Jinchuan, a professor and doctoral supervisor at the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) Energy Institute, said that shale strata in China have developed well in all geological and historical periods and are distributed in the vast areas of the south, north, northwest, and Qinghai, both organic matter content. High Paleozoic marine shales, marine-continental interactive shales, and organic-rich Cretaceous terrestrial shales have been deposited in oil and gas and coal exploration and even in solids and minerals exploration in oil and gas basins and beyond. Multiple shale gas displays were found in the formation. The gas-bearing basins in south Sichuan, east Sichuan, southeast Yunnan, northern Fujian, western Hubei, Bohai Bay, Tarim and Junggar are one of the major prospects of shale gas. Taking the Sichuan Basin as an example, only the Cambrian and Silurian shales were evaluated, and the amount of shale gas resources was equivalent to 1.5 to 2.5 times the conventional natural gas resources in the basin. Zhang Jinchuan believes that shale gas is an important supplement to conventional natural gas exploration and development. Its rapid start and stable development have obvious significance for alleviating the pressure on oil and gas energy demand, and it is also conducive to the improvement of China's oil and gas exploration and development technology.

Shale gas resources exploration and development urgently need to be promoted

Some experts dedicated to the exploration and development of shale gas resources stated that due to the great potential of shale gas resource exploration and development and the importance of national energy strategy, the state should increase its policy on shale gas resource strategy investigation and exploration and development. Support efforts to promote shale gas exploration and development. They believe that the country should formulate policy measures for shale gas resource strategy investigation and exploration and development from the following aspects:

The first is to compile China's shale gas resources strategic investigation and exploration and development of medium and long-term development plan. On the basis of careful analysis of the world shale gas exploration and development situation and China’s current situation, scientifically assess and analyze the potential of shale gas resources in China, conduct shale gas proven reserves trend forecast research, and conduct strategic survey and exploration of shale gas resources in China. The development objectives, priorities, and development stages will be scientifically planned, the development orientation will be clearly defined, and the shale gas resources strategy survey and long-term development plan for exploration and development will be prepared.

The second is to formulate policies for encouraging shale gas resources investigation and exploration and development. Based on the study of preferential policies granted in the development of shale gas in the United States and other countries, and in accordance with China's actual conditions, the preferential policies for exploration and development of coalbed methane in the country will be used to provide preferential policies for shale gas exploration and development. National finance increased investment in shale gas resource strategic investigations, encouraged social capital to invest in shale gas, reduced shale gas prospecting rights and mining rights usage fees, imposed preferential policies on shale gas extraction enterprises' VAT, and corporate income tax Implementation of preferential treatment; key equipment for shale gas development is exempted from VAT and tariffs on import links; given fixed subsidies for shale gas extraction; preferential treatment for key technology research and development, promotion and application, etc. to guide and promote the development of shale gas industrialization.

The third is to improve and innovate the shale gas mining rights management system. According to the characteristics of wide distribution of shale gas and strong flexibility in exploration and development, the establishment of a shale gas mining rights setting system in China is deeply studied. Drawing lessons from the management experience of coalbed methane mining rights, a special shale gas block registration system has been established and national-level management has been implemented. Qualified local companies and private capital are allowed to participate in the exploration and development of shale gas through various means such as joint ventures and shares, and they can also independently invest in shale gas exploration and development.

The fourth is to speed up the development of shale gas technical standards and norms. Strengthen government guidance, rely on the implementation of shale gas resources strategy investigation major projects and pilot exploration and development pilot areas, speed up shale gas resources strategic investigation and exploration and development of technical standards and norms, and promote information sharing and standardized management.