Be careful Shale gas in china / 小心页岩气在中国

French link: http://www.rfi.fr/emission/20111221-chine-met-gaz-schiste

The technique that has revolutionized the energy markets, including the United States, may soon help China out of its reliance on coal. PetroChina, the listed subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation claims to have drilled 20 wells in Sichuan. Each time, the results were positive, although there was gas at the end of the pipe, the company confirms.The Chinese would then sit on the largest shale gas reserves in the world.

One of two things, or Chinese geologists have a hell of a nose, or just dig for. Rather it is to this last option you consider, given the frequency of recent discoveries. The latest is signed PetroChina. "The wells produce more than 10,000 cubic meters of gas a day," Mao told Zefeng one of the managers of chain CCTV test, noting that studies were underway to assess the size of reserves.

They are considerable, according to experts. The Petrochina is also not the only one on the spot. The basement of Sichuan, the most populous province in western China, are being turned into Swiss cheese. After the vertical wells, horizontal wells are being drilled with exploratory projects undertaken by foreign companies such as Shell, BP and Chevron.

A solution to addiction to coal

For now, the Chinese have yet shale gas wells operated commercially but it will not be long. We have here the largest gas reserves "unconventional" in the world reported that the U.S. government energy. China would be enough to run its factories and inform its mega for 300 years, if we remain at the current consumption. Enough to arouse the interest of Beijing, has long, consider natural gas as a solution to his addiction to coal. A way as to satisfy the huge appetite of the country for raw materials.

For experts, this substitution will take time. It will take at least a decade before China than the United States in this area. First, because the price of natural gas is relatively low in China. Secondly, because, again, the country has huge reserves. On 17 September, Sinopec could launch its new "eureka" about 160 billion cubic meters of natural gas estimated to have been found, buried seven kilometers underground, Yuanba always in the same province of Sichuan.

Cost to the environment

Finally, in addition to the abundance of natural resources, another obstacle is the difficulty of extraction. To find shale gas, you have to dig deep, very deep well and identify pockets of gas trapped in the rock. Which requires technical as well as money, not to mention the cost to the environment. To release the gas, companies send a mixture of water and chemicals at high pressure into the well. The technique of "fracturing" to the rock to crack and collect the gas in one place. The problem is that the millions of gallons of water used in the operation are only partially recovered, as also the chemicals.

But economic imperatives are likely to take precedence over environmental considerations. Eventually, say the Chinese authorities, the electricity generated by the gas is expected to reach 285 billion KW / h in 2020, 100 times more than in 2000.

该技术具有革命性的能源市场，包括美国，可能很快帮助中国摆脱对煤炭的依赖。中国石油天然气股份有限公司，中国石油天然气集团公司的上市附属公司声称已在四川钻20口井。每一次，结果是积极的，虽然有天然气管道年底，该公司证实。 ，中国将在世界上最大的页岩天然气储量然后坐下。

有两件事情，或中国地质学家之一地狱鼻子，或只是挖。相反，它是最后一个选项，你认为，鉴于最近发现的频率。最新的是签署了中石油。 “井生产每天超过10000立方米的天然气，”毛泽东告诉泽丰链闭路电视测试经理之一，并指出研究正在进行，以评估储备规模。

他们是相当可观的，据专家介绍。中石油也没有当​​场只有一个。在中国西部地区人口最多的省份，四川，地下室正在变成瑞士乳酪。后垂直井，水平井钻与外国公司，如壳牌，BP和雪佛龙所进行的探索项目。

成瘾煤炭的解决方案

就目前而言，中国还没有页岩气井商业性运作，但它不会很长。我们这里有最大的天然气储量在世界上的“标新立异”报道，美国政府的能源。中国将有足够的运行的工厂，并告知其300年的特大，如果我们保持在目前的消费。足以引起北京的利益，长期以来，考虑为解决他的瘾煤炭天然气。的一种方式，以满足该国对原材料的巨大需求。

专家指出，这种替代将需要一段时间。之前，中国比美国在这方面，这将需要至少十年。首先，由于天然气价格相对较低，在中国。其次，因为再次，该国庞大的储备。 9月17日，中石化可能会推出新的“尤里卡”约160亿立方米的天然气，估计已被发现，埋地下七公里，院坝总是在同一省四川。

成本环境

最后，除了丰富的自然资源，另一个障碍是提取的难度。为了找到页岩气，你必须深挖，很深刻，并确定被困在岩石口袋里的气体。这就要求技术以及金钱，更不用提环境为代价。要释放的气体，企业发送水和化学品的混合物在高压入井。 “压裂”岩石裂缝和气体收集在一个地方的技术。问题是，数百万加仑的操作中使用的水只有部分恢复化学品，。

但经济因素有可能接管优先考虑环境因素。最终，中国当局说，由气体所产生的电力，预计在2020年达到285亿千瓦/小时，在2000年的100倍以上。