Annual output reaches 2 billion cubic meters! This 100 billion cubic meter gas field in the Sichuan Basin heads southwest

According to the Sinopec News Office, another 100 billion cubic meter large gas field in the Sichuan Basin - the West Sichuan Gas Field has been fully completed and put into production. The gas field is expected to produce up to 2 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, providing more clean energy support for my country's southwest region and along the Sichuan Gas Eastward Transmission Line.

Image source: Xinhuanet (Photo by Liu Shushi)

How rich are the natural gas resources in the Sichuan Basin?

Natural gas is mainly composed of methane (CH4) and a small amount of ethane, propane, etc. The generation of these gases is closely related to the rocks, organic matter and geological processes inside the earth.

As early as more than 1 billion years ago, organisms appeared on the earth. With the development of history, the number and types of organisms increased, and organisms reproduced and died in large numbers. Under suitable conditions, one algae plant can reproduce 1036 offspring in 8 days. A large number of organisms, mainly plankton in the oceans and lakes, died. Some of their organic matter was oxidized into carbon dioxide and escaped, while some was deposited as sediment and became the source of oil and gas.

Although natural gas is composed of hydrocarbons as its main component, the conditions for its generation are more diverse than those for oil. Oil can only be generated in large quantities at a certain depth, while natural gas can be generated from shallow to deep.

The Sichuan Basin is “full of gas” and is a gas area with “double enrichment” of conventional gas and unconventional gas. It has the richest natural gas resources in my country and is a region with great potential for natural gas exploration and development in my country.

Nowadays, with the continuous innovation of my country's deep oil and gas theory and technology, deep carbonate gas reservoirs with huge resource potential have become the key area of ​​future oil and gas exploration and development.

At present, Sinopec has discovered nearly 3 trillion cubic meters of geological reserves of natural gas in the Sichuan Basin, with an annual output of 26 billion cubic meters and a cumulative production of over 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

What key technological innovations have been achieved in the trillion cubic meter gas field?

The West Sichuan Gas Field is the third 100 billion cubic meter marine gas field discovered and built by Sinopec in the Sichuan Basin. The West Sichuan Gas Field was discovered in 2014, with proven geological reserves exceeding 100 billion cubic meters. Construction began in December 2019.

The main gas reservoir of the Sichuan West Gas Field is located on the western edge of the Sichuan West Plain in the Sichuan Basin, with a burial depth of about 6,000 meters. The reservoir geology is complex and it is extremely difficult to develop it on a large scale. Sinopec independently developed a new anti-collapse drilling fluid system, and developed precise control technology and key production technologies for wells over 8,000 meters deep, achieving " few wells and high production ".

Image source: Xinhuanet (Photo by Wang Ping)

At the same time, the construction of the Sichuan West Gas Field has innovatively integrated advanced gas production and desulfurization processes, realizing the integration of closed-loop desulfurization and lean green production. The total sulfur recovery rate of natural gas exceeds 99.9%, and the product gas meets the national Class I gas standard, achieving "zero" wastewater discharge. At the same time, the Sichuan West Gas Field has innovated intelligent applications, integrated an intelligent safety risk management and control platform, and established an intelligent operation and maintenance management platform to ensure safety, environmental protection, emission reduction and carbon reduction throughout the process.

Comprehensive sources: Xinhuanet, CCTV News, Sichuan Daily, China Energy News, Beijing Youth Daily, etc.