Sichuan Shale Gas Lab Forms New Academic Committee to Drive Innovation
On July 8, the inaugural meeting of the First Academic Committee of the Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Shale Gas Geological Evaluation and Efficient Development was held in Chengdu. During the meeting, the first Academic Committee of the lab was formally established, with 15 experts—including Academicians Wang Tieguan, Jia Chengzao, and Zou Caineng of the Chinese Academy of Sciences—appointed as committee members. Their role is to guide the laboratory's strategic planning and high-level development.
The lab, formerly known as the Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Shale Gas Evaluation and Extraction (founded in 2013), underwent restructuring in 2023 under the guidance of the provincial science and technology department. In February this year, it was officially renamed the Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for Shale Gas Geological Evaluation and Efficient Development. Jointly established by PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company and the Sichuan Geological Survey Institute, the lab aims to tackle six major challenges: quantifying, locating, estimating recoverability, optimizing extraction, enabling green development, and achieving intelligent production of shale gas. The lab positions itself as a comprehensive innovation platform focused on original research, results transformation, talent development, and academic exchange, with the goal of becoming a top-tier institution in terms of technology, talent, and management—ultimately enhancing independent innovation capacity and supporting the high-quality development of shale gas.
As a major R&D hub for shale gas exploration and development, the lab has, in recent years, effectively mapped the shale gas resource base in Sichuan. It has developed six core technical systems for shale gas exploration and production, enabling scientific, scalable, green, and efficient development of mid-to-deep shale resources. It has also pioneered an integrated geological-engineering method for cultivating high-output wells, significantly improving single-well productivity and economic returns. Since 2024, the lab has won seven provincial and ministerial-level awards and obtained 58 authorized invention patents.
Shale gas, a type of unconventional natural gas, is abundantly found in Sichuan, which ranks first in the nation for technically recoverable shale gas resources. Currently, Sichuan is collaborating with Chongqing to build a 100-billion-cubic-meter-level national shale gas production base. Moving forward, the lab will continue to evolve and contribute to the high-quality development of shale gas and energy security through its scientific and technological expertise rooted in Sichuan.