On April 14, Sinopec announced that the development and construction of China’s first deep shale gas field, Weirong shale gas field with proven reserves of over 100 billion cubic metres (bcm) has gone into full swing. The gas field will have an annual production capacity of 3 bcm, equivalent to the annual gas consumption of 16 million households.  

Weirong shale gas field is located in Neijiang, Zigong city in Sichuan province, with an average buried depth of 3 750 meters. It is a deep shale gas field, with proven reserves of 124.7 bcm. It is a marked achievement of Sinopec's foray into deep shale gas and significant breakthrough in exploration. 

The construction of Weirong shale gas field will be carried out in two phases. At present, 54 wells in eight platforms with annual capacity of 1 bcm have been drilled in the first phase of the project, and 46 have been completed. The penetration rate of high-quality reservoirs is over 95%. The construction of the second phase of the project is fully rolled out, with an annual capacity of 2 bcm, 110 development wells on 14 platforms, nine wells having been drilled, more than 10 wells being tested for oil and gas, and gas collection pipelines and power supply lines under construction.