Guizhou to enhance shale gas exploration and mining

Workers install shale gas storage facilities in Guizhou's Zheng'an county. [Photo/Guizhou Daily]

Southwest China's Guizhou province aims to make shale gas one of the main sources of natural gases, explore 50 billion cubic meters of shale gases, and be capable of producing 2 billion cu m of shale gas per year by 2025.

The main shale gas production areas will be in Zheng'an and Xishui counties, the shale gas exploration areas will be in Daozhen, Tongzi, and Cengong counties, and Weining county, Shuicheng county, and Xingren city will be shale gas reservation areas.

Meanwhile, Guizhou will rely on the China-Myanmar and Zhongwei-Guiyang natural gas pipelines to plan for the shale gas pipeline construction according to shale gas production capacity and market demand.

Guizhou's shale gas pipeline will pass through Xishui, Zheng'an, Wuchuan, and Dejiang counties to transport shale gases to neighboring areas and outside the province.

Guizhou will utilize funds from the central government, support Wujiang Energy and Sinopec Exploration Co to explore and utilize shale gases, allow companies to apply for loans with shale gas exploration rights and mining rights, and encourage social capital to invest in the shale gas industry.

According to Guizhou Department of Natural Resources, Guizhou's shale gas exploration and mining will be divided into five stages of exploration, evaluation, pilot testing, production capability construction, and production.

To guarantee the exploration and mining of shale gases, Guizhou will cooperate with universities and companies to establish a laboratory and a research institute with research teams, achieve breakthroughs in related technologies, and provide supports in land use and application of mining rights.