The China Petrochemical Corp(Sinopec),one of the country's three biggest oil companies,on Thursday announced the discovery of more than 165 billion cubic meters(bcm)of proven shale gas reserves in a field located at the junction of Central China's Hubei Province and Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.
This discovery marks the emergence of another large-scale shale gas field in China,with this find named the Hongxing shale gas field,the Xinhua News Agency reported.
The shale gas reserves at this site were found at depths between 3,300 and 5,500 meters amid complex geological structures,representing significant challenges in terms of exploration and development,according to Sinopec.
With technological innovation,the Hongxing shale gas field has achieved a single-well test production volume of 323,500 cubic meters per day-up from an initial 89,000 cubic meters per day.
The find adds to a growing list of newly uncovered oil and gas reserves in China,as the country strives to ramp up oil and gas output to meet demand.
In June,China National Offshore Oil Corp announced that its Deep Sea No.1 Phase II project in the South China Sea had entered full operation,marking the completion of the country's largest offshore gas field,which holds proven natural gas reserves of more than 150 bcm.
China aims for stable crude oil production above 200 million tons and plans to maintain the steady expansion of natural gas production in 2025,the National Energy Administration(NEA)said in January.
Lin Boqiang,director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University,told the Global Times on Thursday that China's energy production has kept growing,largely due to intensified exploration efforts,which are crucial for ensuring the country's energy security.
China's oil and gas supply continues to grow steadily,with oil and gas production maintaining stable growth in the first half of 2025.
In the first half of this year,large-scale industrial crude oil output reached 108 million tons,up 1.3 percent year-on-year.Natural gas output by companies above designated scale hit 130.8 bcm,reaching a record high,representing a 5.8 percent year-on-year increase,according to data from the NEA.
