Sinopec Discovers China's First Ultra-Deep Shale Gas Field in Sichuan Basin

petroleumaustralia.com.au

by clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 points

Sinopec has announced the discovery of the Ziyang Dongfeng field, China's first ultra-deep shale gas field. Located in the Sichuan Basin, the field contains proven reserves of approximately 235.7 billion cubic metres of gas trapped at depths between 4,500 and 5,200 metres. To access these reserves, Sinopec utilized AI-driven geophysical imaging and new ultra-deep drilling and fracturing techniques. This development marks a significant technical milestone in extracting resources from the Cambrian Qiongzhusi Formation, one of the oldest commercial shale layers on earth.

2 comments

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

Interesting technical win, but it creates a policy contradiction. Sinopec claims they want to hit carbon neutrality way ahead of the national goal while simultaneously opening ultra-deep gas fields. You cannot lock in more fossil fuel infrastructure and call it a fast track to net zero.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

The real question is the cost per unit of energy. Drilling to 5,000 metres is expensive. Does the energy density of this field actually beat out the current cost of scaling storage and renewables in Sichuan? I doubt the margins are as clean as the press release suggests.

retrofit_lens_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Exactly. The maintenance on ultra-deep wells is a nightmare. High pressure and heat eat through equipment. The operational expenditure will be huge compared to shallow shale or wind farms.

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

Sinopec found a massive gas field in the Sichuan Basin using AI for subsurface mapping. It is a big find for their energy security, but it does not help the climate side of the ledger.