中国页岩气勘探评价若干问题评述

Shale gas exploration and appraisal in China:Problems and discussion

页岩油气开采被认为是自石油发现以来最重要的能源开发,是过去半个世纪以来油气工业界在油气地质与工程方面所取得的最激动人心的技术成就。页岩油气的商业开采带来了一场世界性的革命,并已迅速波及国内,形成一股全民热潮。然而,无论从哪个角度来分析,要取得北美地区页岩气的成功都还有很长的艰难道路要走。自2009年开始页岩气钻探以来,中石油、中石化和壳牌中国在四川盆地下古生界海相页岩气勘探方面取得了重要进展,中国也由此成为除北美地区之外唯一一个接入管网开始页岩气商业生产的国家。尽管目前国内的页岩气产量对整个天然气生产的贡献尚微不足道,但这毕竟是一个良好的开端。通过对国内近年来页岩气勘探现状的分析,以及对页岩气热潮的冷静思考,揭示了目前页岩气勘探与评价认识中存在的种种问题,指出在陆相页岩气和南方构造复杂区海相页岩气的勘探方面,以及在页岩气资源的评价认识与发展规划的制定方面,需要做更潜心、认真的研究与科学思考,既要重视页岩气发展的机遇,更要防范页岩气开采中的巨大风险。

Shale gas ＆ oil has been tapped as one of the most important unconventional hydrocarbon resources since the discovery of petroleum, and its exploration and development has been one of the most inspiring technical achievements in petroleum geology and engineering during the past half century. In particular, the commercial extraction of shale oil ＆ gas in North America has brought a worldwide energy revolution, which is quickly spreading to China, resulting in a nationwide shale gas rush. However, the discussion from any angle shows that it will be a long and tough road for whatever country to duplicate the shale gas success in North America. Since China shale gas exploration started in 2009, PetroChina, Sinopec and Shell China have made major achievements in the explo- ration of the Lower Paleozoic marine shale gas in the Sichuan Basin, which has made China the only nation that has registered com- mercially viable production of shale gas through pipelines outside of North America. Although the extracted shale gas at present is only a drop in the bucket of China＇s total natural gas production, it would be a good start. Therefore, through the analysis of the sta- tus quo of shale gas exploration and the reflection on the great shale gas rush in recent years, this paper discloses all kinds of issues in shale gas exploration and appraisal. It also suggests that further studies should be made in the aspects of terrestrial and marine shale gas exploration in complex geological settings in South China, and more scientific studies on and serious thinking over the as- sessment of shale gas resources and development planning. Not only should importance be attached to shale gas development opportunities, but the extremely high risks should be mitigated in shale gas exploitation.