Sinopec Discovers the Large Hongxing Shale Gas Field

On August 21, the Ministry of Natural Resources approved Sinopec Jianghan Oilfield’s verified proven reserves of 165.025 billion cubic meters in the Hongxing Shale Gas Field, marking the birth of another large shale gas field in China. It is also the first trillion-cubic-meter-class Permian shale gas field outside the Silurian, adding a new strategic foothold for safeguarding national energy security.

Located in the Hubei–Chongqing region, the main Permian target layers are buried at depths of 3,300–5,500 meters. With complex structures and thin reservoirs, exploration and development are extremely challenging. Jianghan Oilfield innovated the “geology–engineering dual sweet spot” enrichment theory, forming safe horizontal well construction technologies and high-conductivity fracturing processes. Daily production per well increased from 89,000 cubic meters to 323,500 cubic meters, breaking through the constraints of complex geological conditions.

As a main force in shale gas development, Sinopec has built the Fuling trillion-cubic-meter gas field as well as four 100-billion-cubic-meter-class gas fields including Weirong and Yongchuan. Next, it will deepen technological breakthroughs, expand new belts in the Wujiaping Formation, cultivate large-scale Permian production bases, and continue to promote the high-quality development of China’s shale gas industry.