WNAM REPORT: China’s largest shale oil production base, the Changqing Oilfield, located in Northwest China’s Gansu Province, has achieved a cumulative output of more than 20 million tons, marking a new phase in China’s shale oil development of large-scale and efficient production.
Shale oil, an unconventional petroleum resource extracted from shale formations, is a crucial substitute for ensuring China’s long-term stable crude oil production. However, its extraction is highly challenging.
Located in the Ordos Basin, Changqing Oilfield accounted for more than half of the country’s total shale oil output in 2024, the Xinhua News Agency reported. It boasts proven shale oil reserves exceeding 1 billion tons. This year, the oilfield has accelerated its shale oil production by adding 144 new horizontal wells, achieving a daily output of over 10,000 tons, setting a new record, according to the CCTV News report.
According to the report, a deputy director under the China National Petroleum Corp, the developer, Liu Yicang mentioned that the Changqing Oilfield is set to reach an annual shale oil production level of over 3.5 million tons in 2025. “We will continue to intensify our efforts in shale oil exploration and development,” Liu said in the interview, adding that the company plans to reach an annual production of 4.5 million tons by 2030, further strengthening China’s energy security.
It took Changqing Oilfield 12 years to reach a cumulative shale oil output of 10 million tons from the start of its shale oil exploration. However, it only took three years to double that amount to 20 million tons. Currently, Changqing Oilfield’s shale oil output accounts for more than half of China’s total shale oil production, making it the world’s first land-based shale oil field to achieve scaled and efficient development.
In 2024, China’s total oil and gas output surpassed 400 million tons of oil equivalent for the first time. Crude oil production hit 213 million tons, nearing the historical peak. Shale oil output broke through 6 million tons, up more than 30 percent year-over-year. Shale gas production exceeded 25 billion cubic meters, maintaining steady and sustained growth, official data showed.
