The construction site at the Gaoshi 001-X67 well in Yunfeng Township, Anyue County, Ziyang City, is a hive of activity. On June 3rd, a 13-inch casing pipe was slowly lowered into a 7,000-meter-deep formation, marking the completion of intermediate casing and the first cementing operation. Just a month prior, the Gaoshi 018-H8 well in the same block delivered excellent news: a test production rate exceeding 800,000 cubic meters per day, with an absolute open flow potential surpassing one million cubic meters.
Anyue Gas Field boasts proven reserves of 1.45 trillion cubic meters, accounting for 7.6% of the national total and 33.3% of the provincial total. From January to May this year, the county produced a cumulative 3.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas, a 35% year-on-year increase. It also processed 3.8 billion cubic meters of raw gas (up 90%), generated 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity (up 42%), and contributed 500 million yuan in tax revenue from the entire industrial chain. These figures mark a strong start to the 15th Five-Year Plan period.
Technological Breakthroughs: Achieving Self-Reliance in Drilling
"We used to rely on foreign companies for rotary steerable systems, which were expensive both in terms of equipment and service costs. Now, using domestic equipment and technology, we can complete a well over 6,000 meters deep in just six months," explained the head of the Chuanqing Drilling 70289 team, standing by the rig. Today, domestically produced downhole tools transmit real-time data on temperature, direction, and inclination, keeping the drill bit's trajectory deviation within two to three degrees.
Drilling fluid, often called the "blood" of drilling, presents a significant challenge in density control. "If the density is too high, it can fracture the formation; if it's too low, it can't contain the gas. The slightest mistake could lead to an incident," the team's drilling technical supervisor noted. Different formations have varying pressures, necessitating pre-optimized plans and precise operations. Simultaneously, solid control equipment continuously purifies the circulating mud, removing impurities like rock cuttings to enhance safety and efficiency.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, Anyue's annual natural gas production surged from 3.8 billion cubic meters in 2021 to 7.5 billion cubic meters in 2025, a jump of over 96%. This growth is underpinned by the continuous efforts from 342 exploration and development wells and the repeated success of proprietary technology in conquering complex geological conditions. For the 15th Five-Year Plan period, Anyue plans to drill 75 new wells in key blocks like Gaoshiti and actively initiate shale gas development, aiming for an annual production target of 10 billion cubic meters.
Hub Enhancement: Intelligent Purification for Secure Supply
Efficient purification and safe transportation are critical links connecting upstream extraction with downstream markets. The Ziyang Branch of the Southwest Oil & Gas Field Natural Gas Purification Plant, which commenced operations in September 2025, serves as a vital node in upgrading Anyue's oil and gas industrial chain. From January to May, the plant processed over 3 billion cubic meters of natural gas, completing 67% of its annual target while maintaining a product qualification rate of 100%.
"Raw sour gas from upstream undergoes processes like desulfurization, dehydration, and sulfur recovery, reducing hydrogen sulfide content to below 6 milligrams per cubic meter, fully meeting national Class I gas standards," said Zhao Shumei, deputy director of the Ziyang branch. The plant employs intelligent technologies like advanced process control and real-time optimization, cutting adjustment time during gas quality fluctuations from 30 minutes down to 5-10 minutes, enabling faster and more precise equipment response.
This flexibility is also evident in regional supply coordination. Leveraging the Southwest Oil & Gas Field's pipeline network layout, the Ziyang branch achieves interconnectivity, gas volume exchange, and load balancing with other purification plants in the region. Similar to a highway network, if maintenance is required or an incident occurs at one point, production loads can be quickly shifted elsewhere to ensure a stable and secure gas supply.
While ensuring stable production and supply, meticulous management remains a priority. To address issues like scaling and reduced throughput in high-salinity wastewater evaporation crystallization units, technical teams optimized chemical dosing and cleaned core heat exchange equipment, restoring full-load operation within 24 hours and overcoming production bottlenecks through refined management. Currently, Anyue has two operational natural gas purification plants. Purified gas is partly transported via major energy arteries like the West-East Gas Pipeline to central and eastern China, while another portion is retained locally in Anyue for more value-added "secondary entrepreneurship."
Industrial Deepening: Adding Value Before the Gas Leaves Home
Abundant gas resources and a robust purification, storage, and transportation system mean Anyue is no longer content with merely selling raw materials. Not every cubic meter of natural gas needs to travel far; increasingly, "Anyue gas" is being converted and its value enhanced right at its source, transforming a "gas resource base" into an "industrial hub."
In Yongshun Town, Anyue County, Sichuan Investment (Ziyang) Gas Power Generation Co., Ltd. has delivered impressive results: generating over 4 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity and consuming 760 million cubic meters of natural gas, laying a solid foundation for industrial upgrading. Inside the company's smart control center, a large screen displays real-time operational parameters of the generating units. Lead operator Li Tao and his colleagues work in 24-hour shifts. "Our task is to execute dispatch instructions accurately, ensuring the safe and efficient operation of the units. Any change in dispatch instructions requires precise operation to maximize the conversion of every cubic meter of natural gas into electricity," Li Tao stated.
Qu Ming, deputy manager of the Equipment Management Department, explained that the Ziyang Gas Power Station is the first H-class gas-fired power station operational in southwest China, utilizing the globally advanced M701J H-class gas-steam combined cycle units. He highlighted three key advantages: ultra-low emissions, with sulfur dioxide levels far below national standards and near-zero particulate matter, making it a truly green power source; flexible start-stop capabilities, effectively regulating grid load and ensuring supply-demand balance; and high conversion efficiency, with over 63% of natural gas converted into electricity on-site, far exceeding traditional thermal power.
"We are efficiently converting the local 'rich deposit' into clean electricity, serving the provincial power grid while retaining more value and tax revenue in Anyue," Qu Ming added. Looking ahead, Anyue aims to advance the conversion and utilization of natural gas from "having" to "excelling" and from "excelling" to "leading." According to the 15th Five-Year Plan, based on the stable operation of Phase I gas power, the county will accelerate preliminary work for Phase II. It will also vigorously pursue strategic projects like a domestic heavy-duty gas turbine testing base and a molten pyrolysis natural gas base, promoting the shift of natural gas from a "fuel" to a "feedstock."
Concurrently, plans are underway to build a 6-square-kilometer natural gas clean energy industrial cluster and a 2.5-square-kilometer natural gas industrial park. These will focus on high-end chemical projects such as carbon nanotube co-production and new materials derived from natural gas, constructing a diversified, high-value industrial system.
Comments