Jimusar Shale Oil in Xinjiang Achieves Annual Production of One Million Tons: 13 Years of Hard Work Unlocks Underground Treasure at 3,000 Meters

Tech 2024-11-27 12:28:10 Source: Network

Jimusar Shale Oil in Xinjiang Achieves Annual Production of One Million Tons: 13 Years of Hard Work Unlocks Underground Treasure at 3,000 MetersOn November 26th, good news came from the Jimusar National-level Continental Shale Oil Demonstration Area in Xinjiang: shale oil annual output surpassed one million tons for the first time. This achievement is the culmination of 13 years of arduous exploration and technological breakthroughs, marking a significant leap forward in China's large-scale and efficient shale oil development

On November 26th, good news came from the Jimusar National-level Continental Shale Oil Demonstration Area in Xinjiang: shale oil annual output surpassed one million tons for the first time. This achievement is the culmination of 13 years of arduous exploration and technological breakthroughs, marking a significant leap forward in China's large-scale and efficient shale oil development.

Beneath the Gobi Desert on the southeastern edge of the Junggar Basin lies shale oil dating back approximately 250 million years, with proven reserves exceeding one billion tons. However, extracting this "black gold" buried deep underground is far from easy.

Unlike conventional oil, shale oil doesn't flow freely; it's trapped within dense shale layers. Extraction requires precise drilling into the 1.5-meter-thick oil-bearing layer, located at a depth of over 3,000 meters a thin layer rich in oil reserves, which technicians call the "sweet spot." High-pressure fracturing technology is then used to "squeeze" the oil out of the hard rock crevices. This is akin to extracting oil from a stone, highlighting the immense difficulty involved.

In 2011, Xinjiang Oilfield Company discovered this vast shale oil reservoir in Jimusar County. However, China lacked the necessary extraction technologies and experience. Facing this challenge, Xinjiang Oilfield Company opted for independent research and development, inviting a foreign company to drill the first well. While the first well successfully produced oil, proving the viability of Jimusar shale oil, it didn't solve the problem entirely. The high drilling costs and technology secrecy policies of the foreign company spurred the Chinese technical team to resolve the technological hurdles independently.

Subsequently, Xinjiang Oilfield Company drilled ten pilot wells. The results were disappointing: while these wells produced oil, the output was far below expectations, and even recouping construction costs proved difficult. This setback didn't deter the technical team; instead, it fueled a deeper investigation into the characteristics of the Jimusar shale oil reservoir.

Facing an invisible, intangible oil reservoir more than 3,000 meters underground, the technicians started from scratch, undertaking a series of arduous explorations. They needed to accurately identify the reservoir's location, determine which oil shale could yield oil, and the necessary pressure for effective extraction. This required not only advanced exploration techniques but also a profound understanding of the geological characteristics of the shale oil reservoir.

In 2017, the technical team achieved a significant breakthrough. Two newly drilled horizontal wells, employing precise trajectory control and closely spaced fracturing technology, achieved high yields, reigniting team confidence. However, subsequent testing of 49 wells revealed that less than half met production targets, once again placing the technical team in a difficult position.

Through in-depth analysis, the technicians identified the problem: shale oil isn't uniformly distributed underground but concentrated in specific "sweet spots." Even oil-rich shale must meet certain conditions for internal oil to flow and be effectively extracted. In Jimusar, there are two layers with suitable shale oil extraction conditions: the "upper sweet spot" and the "lower sweet spot." Research revealed that the "lower sweet spot," due to its more stable distribution and wider extent, became the primary production layer, laying the foundation for subsequent large-scale development.

To improve extraction efficiency, the technical team iteratively upgraded extraction technologies. They pioneered the golden target tracking method, increasing the "golden target" encounter rate from 43% to 87%, significantly improving the drilling proportion in the "sweet spot" layer and thus increasing output.

However, simply finding the "sweet spot" wasn't enough; the issue of "fracturing" also needed to be addressed. Fracturing technology requires using high-pressure sand and gravel to create a 1,800-meter-long channel underground to extract the shale oil. This isn't simply a matter of increasing pressure; it requires precise control and technological optimization. The demonstration area's technical team developed an integrated fracturing technology for mixed shale oil, featuring closely spaced fracturing, large sand volume, and high displacement, increasing the average daily oil production per well from 14.6 tons to 26.7 tons in the first year, and recoverable reserves per well from 25,000 tons to 35,000 tons.

Simultaneously, the demonstration area introduced a market competition mechanism "project-based" management reducing single-well investment from 70 million yuan to 42 million yuan, effectively lowering extraction costs. Currently, the cost of one ton of oil has decreased from $72.7 to $44, achieving profitability and laying a solid foundation for large-scale and efficient shale oil development.

Along with technological breakthroughs, the demonstration area emphasizes environmental protection. They innovatively implemented centralized purification treatment of fracturing return fluids, enabling water recycling and saving over 1.16 million cubic meters of water this year alone. By constructing large platforms, deploying dozens of wells, and employing horizontal well extraction, land occupation was reduced by over 1,500 mu. The demonstration area also utilizes all-electric oil extraction and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology, burying over 60,000 tons of carbon annually.

The application of intelligent technology has also significantly improved extraction efficiency and safety. The "single-well intelligent diagnostic system" enables unmanned on-site well monitoring and fault alarm repair, reducing manpower and improving efficiency.

After 13 years of continuous technological breakthroughs and iterations, the Jimusar shale oil demonstration area has made significant advancements in five aspects: fundamental theory, development technology, engineering technology, management model, and environmental protection. This not only provides invaluable experience for China's large-scale shale oil development but also offers crucial references for global shale oil extraction. The breakthrough of one million tons of annual shale oil production in Jimusar marks a new milestone in China's energy sector. Behind this success lies the diligent efforts of countless researchers, a perfect synergy of technological and management innovation, and a vivid embodiment of China's energy independence.

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