Home >> Industry News >> World Oil and Gas Industry Turning to Technology Leadership China's natural gas consumption demand has been growing rapidly, reaching nearly 240 billion cubic meters last year, approaching 200 billion cubic meters in the first three quarters of this year, and is expected to reach 270 billion cubic meters in the whole year, making it the fastest growing market for natural gas consumption in the world. On November 16, the National High-end Think Tank Construction Pilot Unit, China Petroleum Economic and Technological Research Institute, made this prediction at the conference of "Development and Prospects of Petroleum Science and Technology at Home and Abroad in 2018" held in Beijing.


The scientific and Technological Development and innovation research team of the Institute believes that the potential of global oil and gas resources is still huge, but it also faces new situations and challenges. First, the super basin is expected to lead the old oil areas to rise again. The cumulative production and recoverable reserves of petroleum-bearing basins are more than 5 billion barrels of petroleum equivalent. When the basin production enters the plateau stage or declines, by changing exploration and development ideas, the production can be maintained stable or not decreased and increased. The shale gas revolution in the United States in recent years is a good example. According to statistics, there are 25 super basins in the world, including Bohai Bay and Songliao Basin in China. In 2017, super basins accounted for 35% of global oil production.


Second, unconventional oil and gas are effectively replacing conventional oil and gas. There are abundant unconventional oil and gas resources in the world, which are taking the initiative to replace conventional oil and gas. As of 2017, unconventional gas accounted for more than 20% of the total global gas production, and tight oil accounted for about 7% of the total global crude oil production. Apart from North America, China has become a leader in large-scale commercial development of unconventional oil and gas resources.


Third, the new areas of the new zone are facing deeper, farther and more extreme environmental challenges. Deep water, deep water, gas hydrate and polar regions are the reserve forces to meet future oil and gas demand, and are also the key and difficult points for future upstream technology research.


Fourth, the development of natural gas has entered a golden period. Natural gas, as a reliable, affordable and sustainable energy source, will play an important role in the process of energy transformation and be regarded as the strategic focus of future business development.


Fifthly, the oil and gas technological revolution represented by intellectualization began. Intelligent drilling, nano-oil displacement, in-situ upgrading and other new generation of intelligent technology system for exploration and development are taking shape, and a new round of technological revolution is imminent.


Li Luguang, Vice President and General Manager of Exploration and Production Company of PetroChina, said that the sustainable development of the global oil and gas industry was mainly due to technological innovation. The "shale gas revolution" has greatly enhanced the exploitation and supply capacity of unconventional natural gas resources, accelerated the arrival of the golden age of natural gas and also reshaped it. The world energy pattern has been established. In today's world, new knowledge and technologies such as digitalization, networking and intellectualization emerge in endlessly. Oil and gas industry should embrace technological innovation.


Lu Jianzhong, vice president of China Petroleum Economic and Technological Research Institute, believes that with the global oil and gas exploration and development objects gradually turning from conventional to unconventional, from land to sea, from shallow to deep water, it is more and more difficult to exploit, and the requirements for technology and equipment are becoming higher and higher. The world oil and gas industry has gradually shifted from "capital-led" and "resource-led" to "technology-led".


Experts said that the current oil industry big data, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, Internet of Things, block chains and other new technologies to accelerate the application, nano, graphene and other new materials continue to emerge, these new technologies, new materials in-depth integration, will help the oil industry to digital, intelligent transformation.

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