Qinghai Oilfield vigorously tackles unconventional oil and gas resources
Release Time:
2025-05-21
On the 16th, Qinghai Oilfield made great efforts to tackle unconventional oil and gas resources - shale oil.
On the 16th, reporter (Pan Yujie) learned from Qinghai Oilfield that the oilfield is vigorously tackling unconventional oil and gas resources.
Shale oil, as an "in-situ source" unconventional oil and gas resource, has not undergone large-scale migration compared to conventional oil. China's shale formations are rich in oil and gas resources and represent an important strategic area to ensure energy security supply.
Located deep in the arid inland northwest of China and the northern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Qaidam Basin has an average elevation of over 3,000 meters and is one of the world's most representative highland oil and gas basins.
After years of development, the Qaidam Basin oilfields have high proven reserves utilization and face significant production decline pressure, urgently needing to expand into new areas. To ensure continuous reserve increase and production, since 2021, the research team of China National Petroleum Corporation Qinghai Oilfield Branch has studied the geological characteristics and key exploration and development technologies of unconventional oil and gas in the Qaidam Basin, innovated management concepts, and carried out integrated geological and engineering exploration practices of unconventional oil and gas in the Qaidam Basin, represented by the Yingxiongling shale oil.
Yingxiongling shale oil in the Qaidam Basin is a globally unique "plateau mountain-type" terrestrial shale oil reservoir, influenced by multiple strong Himalayan tectonic modifications and frequent changes in sedimentary environments. The underground geology and surface conditions are "doubly complex," featuring thick mixed-source deposits in a saline lake basin, low organic matter abundance hydrocarbon source rocks with efficient hydrocarbon generation, and complex structures. It differs significantly in geological background and enrichment conditions from relatively stable marine and terrestrial shale oil reservoirs domestically and internationally. Meanwhile, the Yingxiongling area is remote with weak social support, compounded by cold, hypoxic, arid, and water-scarce conditions, making shale oil exploration and development extremely challenging.
"In recent years, the research team has systematically tackled key issues such as how much Yingxiongling shale oil there is, where it is, where it is good, and how to extract it, achieving breakthroughs in exploration strategy and forming a supporting technology system," said Wu Kunyu, head of the Yingxiongling shale oil exploration and development project at Qinghai Oilfield Exploration and Development Research Institute. Currently, three pilot development test platforms have been deployed and implemented, providing scientific guidance for future large-scale reserve increase and efficient production.
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