China's major shale gas field sees accumulated output of over 53 bln cubic meters

CHONGQING, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- As of the end of November, Fuling, China's largest shale gas field, has produced over 53 billion cubic meters of shale gas over the past decade since it was discovered in 2012.

Shale gas is mainly methane. It is considered a clean new energy resource. Over the past 10 years, the gas field has posted proven reserves of 897.5 billion cubic meters in total, accounting for 34 percent of China's proven shale gas reserves. Fuling also has seen its annual output grow from 142 million cubic meters in 2013 to more than 8.5 billion cubic meters in 2021.

As China's first large-scale shale gas field to enter commercial development in 2014, Fuling in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality has brought green and clean energy to more than 70 cities along the Yangtze River Economic Belt over the years.

"The exploration of the Fuling shale gas field is of great significance to promoting China's energy structure upgrade, ensuring energy security and relieving the natural gas supply pressure in the central and eastern regions," said Song Junbei, Party secretary of Fuling shale gas company, Sinopec Jianghan Oilfield.

To mark the ten-year juncture, the Fuling shale gas field has set itself a new goal of making proven reserves and annual output reach 1 trillion and 10 billion cubic meters, respectively, in the future, Song added.