As of April 8, the Kela 2-5 well, operated by PetroChina's Tarim Oilfield, has achieved a cumulative natural gas production exceeding 10 billion cubic meters, reaching 10.009 billion cubic meters. This makes it the seventh well in the Kela 2 gas field to surpass the 10-billion-cubic-meter production milestone, further solidifying the field's strategic role as the primary source for the West-East Gas Pipeline project.
Located on the northern edge of the Tarim Basin, the Kela 2 gas field was discovered in 1998 after extensive exploration efforts by Tarim petroleum engineers. The breakthrough well, Kela 2, yielded a high-flow natural gas stream, leading to the identification of China's largest ultra-high pressure, high-yield, and high-abundance integrated gas field at the time. This discovery directly prompted the initiation of the West-East Gas Pipeline project. The Kela 2 gas field officially commenced supplying gas to the pipeline in December 2004.
To meet growing downstream demand, Tarim Oilfield has continuously enhanced its natural gas production capacity. The company has made significant advancements in water control and stabilization technologies for aquiferous gas reservoirs. It has developed a core development strategy involving proactive production control post-water breakthrough, vertical production adjustment, strong drainage in high-permeability layers, and nitrogen injection at water invasion fronts to block water advance. This "control, adjust, drain, inject" approach has pushed the limits of conventional strong water-drive gas reservoir development, enabling high-quality, full-lifecycle development of the Kela 2 field. This effort has also fostered the "Kela 2 Spirit," characterized by pioneering forbidden zones, challenging limits, tenacious problem-solving, and striving for excellence, which serves as a banner for Tarim petroleum engineers in overcoming difficulties.
After more than two decades of development, the Kela 2 gas field maintains stable production, sustaining an annual output of approximately 6 billion cubic meters for ten consecutive years. Its cumulative natural gas production is nearly 153 billion cubic meters. The field has produced seven wells with cumulative outputs exceeding 10 billion cubic meters and twelve wells exceeding 1 billion cubic meters, achieving a leap from high initial production to long-term stable output. It stands as a landmark in the energy sector at the southern foot of the Tianshan Mountains, hosting designations such as the "National Major Science and Technology Project Demonstration Base" and the "Petroleum Spirit Education Base."
To date, cumulative natural gas production from the Tarim Oilfield has surpassed 500 billion cubic meters. It has maintained efficient and stable annual production above 31 billion cubic meters for six consecutive years, establishing itself as one of China's three major gas production regions. This plays a vital role in ensuring national energy security, optimizing the energy mix, and promoting green, low-carbon development.
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