When people think of Ziyang, "China Dental Valley" and "Anyue Lemon" often come to mind first. However, many are unaware that Ziyang also sits atop a vast underground "treasure trove"—its natural gas resources. The region's "Anyue Gas Field" is one of China's top ten gas fields with proven reserves exceeding one trillion cubic meters and is currently the largest single marine facies integrated gas reservoir discovered domestically. Furthermore, the Ziyeye-2 well set a new record for shale gas test production in China, becoming the world's most ancient and highest-yielding shale gas well.
With such a rich resource foundation, how can Ziyang's natural gas industry seize this opportunity for growth? At a special press conference for Ziyang titled "A Myriad of Prospects in Sichuan: Embarking on the '15th Five-Year Plan'" held by the Provincial Government Information Office on July 17th, Wang Fengxian, Director of the Ziyang Development and Reform Commission, outlined the strategy. During the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, Ziyang will focus on building a Sichuan-Chongqing trillion-cubic-meter-level natural gas industry base as its overarching goal. The strategy will concentrate on synergistically developing three key areas: "Increasing Gas, Utilizing Gas, and Revitalizing Gas" to accelerate the transformation of resource advantages into industrial success.
Focus on Exploration and Development to Vigorously "Increase Gas"
On one front, efforts will concentrate on main production layers like the Sinian and Cambrian systems in the Gaoshiti area to promote the efficient development and utilization of conventional gas resources. Simultaneously, the focus will be on secondary development of the Xujiahe gas reservoir and shale gas exploration in the Ziyang Qiongzhusi Formation. This aims to break through bottlenecks in unconventional gas exploration and extraction, further unlock resource potential, ensure stable production capacity growth, and preliminarily achieve an estimated increase of over 55% in natural gas production by the end of the "15th Five-Year Plan" period compared to the end of the "14th Five-Year Plan".
On another front, the planning includes pipeline projects such as Ziyang–Neijiang and Ziyang Dongfeng–Tuodong Industrial Park. These projects will continuously improve the natural gas transmission pipeline network system, creating a seamless channel covering the entire chain from resource exploration and development to purification processing and regional export. This will comprehensively enhance the capabilities for natural gas transmission, scheduling, and supply security.
Focus on Conversion and Utilization to Efficiently "Utilize Gas"
Moving away from a crude development model centered solely on export, Ziyang will leverage its local advantage of abundant natural gas resources. The goal is to promote the efficient on-site conversion and nearby value-added utilization of natural gas resources, maximizing their economic value and comprehensive social benefits. This involves actively pursuing gas-fired power plant projects, strategically planning for emerging hydrogen energy industries, seizing opportunities in new energy industry development, and building a distinctive hydrogen energy industry development system based on natural gas resource advantages.
The approach includes scientifically planning the layout of hydrogen refueling stations across the region, steadily advancing demonstration projects for hydrogen-blended combustion, piloting the application of off-site electrocatalytic hydrogen sulfide-to-hydrogen technology, achieving resource recycling of waste materials, effectively reducing hydrogen production costs, fostering deep integration between the traditional natural gas industry and the new energy sector, and cultivating new growth points in green, low-carbon industries.
Focus on Chain Development to Concentrate Efforts on "Revitalizing Gas"
Ziyang is planning a hydrogen energy industrial park and will continue to improve supporting facilities within the park to solidify the industrial foundation. The strategy involves targeted attraction of high-quality upstream and downstream projects to establish a comprehensive energy and chemical industry platform. Strictly aligning with national energy utilization policies, resources will be allocated based on project needs, focusing on attracting and nurturing high-value-added, long-chain, high-quality industries.
This includes building LNG production bases and storage and distribution stations to improve the LNG industry chain, developing high-value-added products like protein from natural gas, vertically extending the industrial chains for fine chemicals and bio-manufacturing from natural gas, and striving to build a diversified natural gas conversion and utilization system. The comprehensive development of the entire natural gas industry chain will drive the high-quality development of Ziyang's industrial economy.
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