nergy Geoscience 1 (2020) 55-68 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Energy Geoscience journal homepage: www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/energy-geos: Review Development of unconventional gas and technologies adopted in ® China cg Yang Li *", De-Hua Zhou *, Wei-Hong Wang ", Ting-Xue Jiang ‘, Zhao-Jie Xue * 4 hina role Chen! Corporation Being 100728 cine «Sinopec Research stat of Peleum Bxgacring, Bling, 1010), China ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT eceved in ose form 16 Apel 2020 ‘Acceped 25 April 2020 ‘This sty analyses the geological characteristics and development progress of unconventional gas In ‘China, summarizes the development theories and technologies, discusses the prospects and challenges of “unconventional gas development, and puts forward the future trends of development technologies, Various technologies of unconventional gas development are available in China. Shale gas developme: technologies include comprehensive geological evaluation, volume fracturing of cluster horizontal wells under complex stress conditions, an factory tke operation of horizontal wells in complex mountainous area et al. Tight gas development technologies include fluid identification and quantitative prediction, ‘optimization of well patterns, multilayer facturing in vertical well, stage fracturing in horizontal wel, and drainage gas recovery. Coalbed methane (CBM) development technologies include the prediction of medium-high and medium-low-rank CBM enrichment areas, rate-variable hydraulic fracturing. and ‘quantitative drainage recovery with five stages, thtee pressures, and four controls. For economic and effective development of unconventional ga, farther eflrts should be made. Fest intensified staies should be conducted on high-precision prediction and fine characterization technologies of high-quality shale reservoirs in deep marine, continental, and transitional facies. Second, key theories and technol- ‘jes such as fast diling and completion of wells with long laterals as well as large-scale volume fracturing should be developed to improve well productivity. Third, new technologies such as multiple ‘well-type development, fluid injection, and nano-flooding should be developed to enhance the recovery Fourth. effort should be made to identify the accumulation mechanism and large-scale effective devel- ‘opment technologies for CBM. Fifth, the application of large amounts of data and artifical intelligence in the entire process of unconventional gas development should be considered to reduce the development {© 2020 Sinopec Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute. Publishing services by Elsevier BBV. on behalf of keai Communications Co. td. This is an open acess article under the CC BY-NC-ND Tense (hip /ereativecommons.orlicensesoy-ne-nd40)). Geologie caracersies Development history Integrated development technology 1. Introduction 2018), In China, the recoverable resources of tight gas, shale gas, and CBM, which comprise the unconventional gas resources dis- Abundant unconventional gas resources are available world- ‘wide. The recoverable resources of tight gas, coalbed methane (CBM) and shale gas amount to 9219 « 10! m? (Zou et al, 2015, * Corresponding author Academician of chinese Academy of Engincrig, Chin Email addres liyangsinopeecomn Production and Hosting by Elsevier on behalf of Kel utp: doorg/0 101j,eageos 20004008 ‘cussed in this study, amount to 45.6 » 10° m?, which is about five times that of conventional gas. These resources are characterized by ‘wide distribution, multiple ages, multiple strata, complex geolog- ical and surface conditions, and difficult development. Develop- ment theories and technologies suitable for these three types of ‘unconventional gas have been formed on the basis of 20 years of research, exploration, and development. In 2017, tight gas, shale 25, and CBM contributed about one-third of the total gas pro- duction in China. In this study, the geological characteristics and development progress of unconventional gas in China are analyzed, and the bing services by Elsevier on behalf KeAi Communications Co, 1dTiss an open acess ate under the CC BY-NC-ND lee (ip ceatwecommonsuglicesesby-bend/40)6 Wet ab / Energy Geacene 1 (200) 55-68 Nomenclature EUR — Recoverable reserves of single gas well, 10" m? An — Open area of fractures, m? kn ~ Formation effective permeability, 10 ® umn t = Production days, d. engineering practices with respect to the development geology- engineering integration, drilling/completion, fracturing stimula- tion, and reservoir development are summarized. Finally, the prospects and challenges of unconventional gas development are proposed and the trends of technologies are predicted to provide a reference for the large-scale commercial development of uncon- ventional gas in China. 2. Geological setting and unconventional gas types in China China is rich in unconventional gas resources (Hu, 2008: Ning al, 2009) (Fig. 1), Aecording to the dynamic evaluation results of oil and gas resources by the Ministry of Land and Resources of China in 2015, the recoverable resources of tight gas amount to 113 x 10" m’s those of shale gas are 2181 » 10!? m? including 43 x 10"? m? marine shale gas, 508 x 10! m° transitional shale gas, and 373 x 10" m? continental shale gas: and those of CBM shal- lower than 2000 m amount to 12.5 = 10! m China's unconventional gas has been developed rapidly since 2005. By the end of 2017, the original unconventional gas in place amounted to 5.62 x 10" m?, accounting for 41% of the country’s total (Fs. 2). Specifically, the proven reserves of tight gas, shale gas, and CBM were 4 x 101? m?, 9208 x 10% m?, and 7118 x 10% m?, respectively. In 2017, China's total production of unconventional gas was 480 « 10 m’, including 340 « 10° m’ of tight gas, 90 < 10° m? of shale gas, and 49.5 « 10° mv of BM (Fig. 3) accounting for 32.6% of the country’s total gas production. Several tight gas fields rep- resented by Sulige and Daniudi in the Ordos Basin and Xujiahe in the western Sichuan Basin have been put into extensive develop- ‘ment to drive the rapid development of tight gas in China (Jia etal. 2012), Three shale gas fields, Fuling, Changning—Weiyuan, and Zhaotong, have been constructed in the Sichuan Basin, and two CBM production bases, Qinshui, and Eastern Hubei, have been established (Li et al, 2017; Zhang et al, 2018) (Fi. 1). 2 Shale gas ‘Although the organic-rich shales of marine, continental, and. transitional facies in China all possess the basic geological condl- tions for shale gas formation and enrichment, their characteristics difer significanty ‘The marine shale is chatacterized by large thickness, high abundance of organic matter, high gas content, and high brittleness land is the most promising shale gas prospecting target in China (Liang et al, 2009), Compared with the marine shale gas in North ‘America, China's marine shale gas was generated under more complex geological conditions (Long etal, 2016) and exhibits the following geologic features (Zieng et al, 2013; He etal, 2016; Hu et al, 2014, 2015; Li and Xue, 2016; Guo et al, 2014; Wang et al, 20184, b), (1) Old geologic age. Shale gas in China was developed mainly in the Farly Paleozoic Cambrian and Silurian in the Sichuan Basin, the Middle—Lower Yangtze region, and the Tarim i retenste — or Bone Hi Coven an cme ps ns Fit. bibuton ef eonvetonal and unconventional strlen China (Zoe sl, 2018)ebb ergy Coucence 1 (2020) 55-68 i Conventional gas Tight gas m Shale gas CBM zo 2001 20122003 20082005 20062007 2ons 20092010 2011 2012 201320142015 20162017, ese Fig. 2. Proven resenesof conventional nd unonventina asa Cha (Acodig to dhe relevant daa fom Sasa Review of Wold Energy ised coment) corporatleerg economists eview-oF wort ene an Annual atonal bulletin of land gas reserves). Basin, whereas shale gas in North America is younger and distributed mainly in the Late Paleazoic Devonian, Carbon- iferous, Permian, and Jurassic~ Cretaceous craton basins and foreland basins. (2) Complex geologic structure. As a result of multi-stage tectonic ‘movement in the Cambrian and the Silurian, folds, faults, and ‘denudation created variable preservation conditions for the shale gas; the faults were developed; and the stratum dip angles are large. (3) Deep burial depth. shale gas at depths of 3500—4500 m ac- ‘counts for 62.5% of China's total recoverable marine shale gas resources and has high thermal maturity with Ro > 2% Indicating a high over-mature stage. (4) High organic matter abundance. The total organic carbon (TOC) content is generally between 2% and 8%, and the main Types of organic matter ate type land type I (5) High content of brittle minerals. Brittle materials generally ‘make up more than 55% ofthe marine shale in China. Organic matter pores and bedding fractures are abundant. The reservoir porosity is low, generally at 3-6 (6) Large horizontal bidirectional stress difference. Ina range of 10-20 MPa, the difference between overburden stress and ‘minimum principal stress is low, generally less than5 MPa, ‘which is not conducive for forming complex fractures. (7) Methane abundance. The major gas component is dry gas ‘with a methane content of about 98%, Transitional shale is distributed chiefly inthe 1 600 ao) SSMEO CEM Thess 00 600 00 Carboniferous-Permian strata in southern and northern China ‘Typically, the muddy shale of the transitional facies occurs mainly in the Upper Permian Longtan Formation in the Sichuan Basin (Liu cet al, 2015; Guo etal, 2018), The organic-rich shale was deposited ‘mainly in a tidal flat and lagoon environment, and the lithologies are gray-black muddy shale interbedded with siltstone and coal beds. The cumulative thickness of the high-quality shale is large, although the thickness ofa single layer is small, usually between '5 mand 10 m, The shale is characterized by large vertical and horizontal variations, strong heterogeneity, great changes in the thermal evolution degree, a porosity of 4.0-5.0%, moderate brittle ‘mineral content, 40-50% quartz and feldspar in content, lower total sas content, high desorbed gas content, and paragenesis of shale 25, coal bed methane, and tight gas. Continental organic-rich shale i developed mainly in sedi mentary environments of semi-deep lake to deep lake in the Jurassic and Triassic units of the Sichuan and Ordos basins, respectively (Zhu et al, 2017; Zhou et al, 2013). It is mainly sray-black muddy shale, silty shale, and limy shale interbedded with sandstone and limestone. Its content and thermal evolution degree of organic matter varies greatly across regions. Inorganic ‘mineral pores are dominant, organic pores are undeveloped, and the thermal maturity is low (Ry ~ 0.4~1.3%), leading to a low gas content of 1-2 m?/t and paragenesis of oil and gas. In addition, the shale features high clay mineral content, low brittle mineral con- tent (20-40%), and poor fracabilicy. ‘conventional ga 0 ‘2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Yer Fle. 3. Production of conventional and unconventional gs la Chia (According tothe relat data fm StaistalRevew of Wold Energy bits: bpcomensobaly corporatjenergy economies sats eiew-of wore nergy and Anus national bullet of land gs reserves).ss Wet ab / Energy Geacene 1 (200) 55-68 22. Tight gas ‘Tight gas is widely distributed in sedimentary basins of China and has six major geological characteristics (Ma et al, 2012s Kang etal, 2007; Dai et al, 2012). (1) The tight gas is exclusively coal derived. Coal-bearing hy- 3%): burial depth of 300-850 m: thickness of 3.28.9 m, with an average of 6 m; gas content of 8-35 m'(t, with an average of 21 m’/t; and pressure Coefficient of 0:81, showing bad physical properties, strong het- erogeneity, dominance of minor pores, and strong adsorptive capacity, ‘Medium-low-rank CBM is distributed mainly in northwest China, north China, and northeastern China. The No. § CBM reser- Voir in the Baode block at the eastern matgin of the Ordos Basin has been put into commercial development (Liang, et al, 2012). ft ex- hibits a low thermal evolution degree, with Ry ~ 0.6-0.9%; domi- nance of hybrid-origin gas; and! good physical properties for coal reservoirs, with a permeability of 1~20 » 10-3 wm 3. Development history of unconventional gas in China With the progress of development theories and engineering, technologies of unconventional gas. especially shale gas, China's unconventional gas has entered a period of rapid development and hhas become an important option for increasing reserves and the production of natural gas in the country. 34. Shale gas Shale gas development has gone through two stages. 3.11, Development test (2010-2012) Comprehensive evaluation and development tests were con- ducted for marine shale gas in the Lower Paleozoic \Woutfeng—Longmaxi formations in southern China. Two wells, one (the horizontal Well Ning 201-H1 in the Weiyuan—Changning play and the other (the Well JYTHEF) in the jaoshiba play in the Fuling area in the southern Sichuan Basin, were tested after fracturing With impressive commercial gas flows of 15 « 10" m’ and 203 x 10" m’, respectively, thus highlighting ‘the Weiyuan—Changning and Fuling marine shale gas fields. (Wang, 2015; Zhou et al, 2014 Xie, 2018), Several relevant technologies have been established, such as zone selection and evaluation of marine shale gas, identification of ‘weet spots, comprehensive evaluation of the shale brittleness in- dex and fracabilty, optimized and fast drilling of horizontal wells for shale gas, network fracturing, and fracture monitoring, Several Working fluid systems and tools have been developed such as a low-viscosity and high-shearing oil-based drilling fluid system with an oil-water ratio of 80:20; a Service Function Path (SFP) clastic~plastic cement slurry system, which may reduce the elastic ‘modulus by 40%; an emulsion-type slick water system; and a Grilable bridge plug. 312, Commercial development (2014 to the present) “The Fuling gas ied produced 50 x 10% m*/a and 100 x 108 m?ja of gas in 2015 and 2017 respectively (Na et al..2018).tn 2017, China produced 90 x 108 m? of shale gas, of which 60 x 10° m’ is from Fling and 30 x 108 m from Weiyuan—Changning and other fields (Dong et al. 2016). Several techniques such as well trajectory design based on geology-engineering integration, batch drilling and factory-like multi-wellfracturing.operation mode have been developed. improvements were made on the performance of anoil- based drilling fluid system with a low oillwater ratio of 70:30, a foam cement slurry system that may reduce the elastic modulus by 70H, and a low-cost fracturing fluid system comprising one agent for multiple effects. Compared with that measured during the development test stage, the drilling cycle was shortened by 18%, the penetration rate increased by 70% and the fracturing timeliness increased threefold. Since 2017, several technologies have been developed and further improved based on the existing technologies, including optimized and fast drilling of long horizontal sections and improved ESRV, multi-scale isostatic fracture initiation and prop- pant control, comprehensive adjustment by well pattern optimi- zation and well infilling,refracaring. (Fix. 4). 32. Tight gas Although tight gas in China was discovered in the western Sichuan Basin in the 1960s, a lack of technologies impeded its evelopment. In recent years, with the progress of large-scale fracturing technology, China's tight gas resources have grown rapidly. This development can be divided into the following two stages (Fig, 5). 32.1 Initial development (before 2006) Several local shale gas blocks with well-developed fractures in the Xinchang and Bajiaochang gas fields of the Sichuan Basin were developed in a limited scale through well completion with casing perforation in vertical wells, removal of plugging by acid washing, and small-scale fracturing in single layers (Kang et al. 2007; Dai et al, 2012) With the discoveries in large tight gas fields (eg. Sulige and Daniudi), a low-cost and large-scale development of tight gas was realized through research and development of tech- nologies such as selection of enrichment zones and sweet spots,Ye det a egy Geen 1 (2020) 55-68 9 Existing teehooogles Im New technologies Anal podtion 10a [016 207 201 2019” 2020 2025 2030 Fig. Development history of sal as in Cis (Ann stinal uletin oat 35 reserves). Banal production 400 350 mf {ora Bore 2000" 20012003 2003 20042005 20062007 2008 20062010 201120122013 20142015 2016 2017 ig 5.Developrent history of tight gs in China (Yang ab, 2012} (Annual national bulletin fei and gas eserves lunderbalanced drilling, and single-layer large-scale fracturing in vertical wells. 3.22. Fast development (since 2007) By virtue of low-cost development and management technolo- gies such as development of thin sand reservoirs (<10 m in thick- ress) and fluid prediction, multi-layer large-seale fracturing in vertical wells, and horizontal well staged fracturing, the Sulige, Daniudi, Chengdu, and Guang’an gas fields have realized large-scale development, and the Keshen—Dabei gas field in the Kuga depression of the Tarim Basin has been produced at a large scale. During this stage, China's proven tight gas reserves had been increased by 2500 » 10° m? per year and its total tight gas pro- duction reached 340 > 10" m? in 2017, 33, Coalbed methane By the end of 2017, more than 18,000 CBM wells and 12,000, development wells were drilled in China with a production ca- pacity of 90 > 10* m? and gas production of 49.5 « 10° m?. High-, ‘medium-, and low-rank CBM was developed at a large scale. CBM development can he divided into the following two stages. 33.1. Medium to high-rank coal-bed methane development The first high-rank CBM field in China was discovered in southern Qinshut Basin in 2002. Considering the features of old geologic age, strong tectonic deformation, and low permeability of the coal reservoirs in the area, several CBM development technol- ‘gies have been developed for CBM with medium to high-rank coal, including the selection and evaluation of favorable target driling and completion of factory-like directional, U-shaped. L~ shaped, and multi-ateral horizontal wells; rate-variable hydraulic sand fracturing: and quantitative drainage gas recovery with five stages, three pressures, and four controls. Two major CBM pro- ‘action bases were established in the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin and in the Qinshui Basin, respectively (Cao etal, 2014), 3.32, Medium to low-rank coal-bed methane development ‘Since 2012, the Baode block at the eastern margin ofthe Ordos Basin has been developed into a medium-to low-rank CBM field. In this gas field, the No.4 + 5 coal beds in the Shanxi Formation and the No.8 +9 coal beds in the Taiyuan Formation serve as major pay zones with a burial depth of 500-1000 m, a thickness of 538 m. Rp of 06-09%, and reservoir permeability values more than 1 « 10 jm. The original gas in place amounts to 343 x 10° m?, and the available production productivity is7.7 » 10° mn 2017, the production was 5.64» 108 m?, and the average well production ‘was 2372 mjd. In addition, several medium— to low-rank CBM development and production bases were formed, including Baode,, Fukang, Fuxin, Tifa, and Hunchun fields 4. Technologies for unconventional gas development Unconventional gas reservoirs in China have low permeability, low porosity, low reserve abundance, and fow or no natural well productivity. They can achieve economic productivity only by stimulation through fracturing and effective development tech- nologies, For developing the different types of unconventional gas that are distinct in occurrence, geological conditions, and devel- ‘opment laws, specific development technologies are necessary.@ Wet ab / Energy Geacene 1 (200) 55-68 4, Shale gas On the basis ofa decade of research and development, medium- deep shale gas has been successfully developed. Several key tech- ‘nologies are geophysical prediction and comprehensive geological evaluation of marine shale gas sweet spots in medium-deep strata, development design and optimization under complex under- ground and ground conditions. optimized and fast drilling and stimulated reservoir volume (SRY) fracturing of clustered hori- zontal wells with long horizontal sections under complex stress condition, factory-like operation of horizontal well clusters. in complex mountainous areas, and efficient and clean exploitation of shale gas. Several major equipment and critical completion tools have been developed such asa movable drilling rig, the Model 3000 fracturing truck, and a drillable bridge plug. 4.1 Evaluation of marine shale gas sweet spots Both geological and engineering parameters were used for evaluating shale gas sweet spots. TOC, porosity, pressure coefficient, and silica content were found to be proportional to gas content and ‘gas production Jin etal, 2016; Hu etal, 2018; Lu et al, 2018a, Sun et al, 2016; Liu et al, 2018a, b, ¢, 2018), The preservation conditions, structure, burial depth, and surface conditions may alfect the well productivity and economy. On the basis of field analysis, geology-engineering-economy parameters have been defined for evaluating sweet spots in marine shale that experienced multiple stages of tectonic evolution in southern China. The development areas can be divided into Class | and Class il (Table 1). {lass I areas refer to areas with good economic benefit, lass areas require more intensified measures for cost reduction and efficiency improvement. ‘Sweet spots were delineated and evaluated using seismic and logging geophysical methods. Models were established for pre- dicting density, TOC, and porosity based on seismic density analysis. By using the pressure balance method, the vertical effective stress of the overlying strata was calculated, and the pore pressure and pressure coefficient were predicted by considering the undulating surface landform. A model of the relationship between the gas content and the TOC and pressure coefficient was constructed to improve the prediction accuracy of the gas content in complex tectonic areas (Guo et al, 2015). ‘ga, britleness index, and formation pressure were evaluated ‘quantitatively with the well logging data. The technology of multi- parameter overlapping and cross-plotting was developed to iden- tify high-quality muddy shale and to evaluate the organic carbon content, with an accuracy more than 90% of calculated TOC values. ‘The four-porosity model for shale gas was established to quanti- {atively evaluate the porosity values of organic pores. lay pores, brittle mineral pores, and micro-fractures. The free gas content was evaluated on the basis ofthe four-porosity model for shale gas and the occurrence mechanism of shale gas (Li etal, 2014). 412. Shale gas low mechanism and development scheme optimization under complex geological conditions ‘The percolation mechanism of shale gas reservoirs is diferent from that of conventional gas reservoirs. An experimental evalua- tion technology was developed for shale gas development, and the ‘mechanism of shale gas flow was identified through laboratory simulation experiments and theoretical research. In addition, the productivity evaluation method of fractured horizontal wells for shale gas was established. Moreover, several technologies were developed for optimizing the shale gas development scheme and ‘numerical simulation under complex geological and surface conditions. 4121. Experimental evaluation for shale gas development and flow ‘mechanism. Considering that the existing experimental devices cannot simulate desorption, diffusion, and percolation under reservoir conditions, researchers in China developed a full- diameter shale isothermal adsorption and desorption device and a physical simulation device for shale gas development at high {emperature and high pressure (150 °C, 70 MPa). By using ful- diameter rack samples with a core diameter and length of over 10 cm, free gas and adsorbed gas production can be measured at formation temperature and pressure during shale gas depressur- ization development (Ziia0 etal, 2016; Liu et al. 2018a, b,c). The study results show that, in the process of shale gas depressurization development, free gas is dominant during the initial stage of gas production, and then the contribution of adsorbed gas increases ‘gradually. In Fuling gas field, when the shale formation pressure is Jess than 12 MPa, shale gas begins to desorb in a large quantity, contributing 15% tothe gas production (Fi. 6). The adsorption and ‘The shale mineral composition, TOC, porosity, free gas, adsorbed desorption characteristics essentially satisfy the Langmuir ‘able alton criteria fr stale gas sweet spo areas (Acoring to reference (20 an jo. 2012) and our research Development are as Gast cology evalaton “Thickness of sale with TOC SP 30 15-30 m) oes) 3 za Porosity) > sa Roo and or conditions Cas content an wel igging (i) =5 a) 2s Engineering evaluation Sica content (2) 50 Horizontal sesaiference 10, MPa) Brtleness index (2) 0 Young’ modulus (a) 330 Bunal depth) 1500-3000 Economicffestiveness_Sufceanoem Plain and il (275%) ‘lustion Testing prodvction (10m) >20 Impermesbie bd thickness at 0 and lor >20"m permeable Be thickness trot a flor: 10 Sl al throw and steeper stratum attitude “0-800 Pin and Wi (50-752)Ye det a egy Geen 1 (2020) 55-68 a —*-Desorbed gas quantity ++ Free gas quantity Total gas prodvction ‘Cumulative gas prod So Wo % 30 oea0 Pressure. MPa Fig 6 Experimental curves of depletion development by ful-dameter oes (Exp imental data unpublished). ‘isothermal adsorption equation (Fig. 7) Shale gas shows different flow characteristics in pore-fracture ‘media at different scales, It is dominated by Darcy flow in pores and fractures larger than 100 nm, by Darcy low and slippage flow inpores with a diameter of 100 nm—1 jm; by slippage low in pores witha diameter of 20-100 nm; by slippage flow and transition flow inpores with a diameter of 1-20 nm, and by diffusion in pores with a diameter of less than 1 nm under low pressure. The majority of pores in the Fuling shale are 4~16 nm in size. During development, the permeability is increased by 1=2 times owing to gas diffusion (Fig. 8), The contribution of diffusion and slippage effects to the ‘cumulative gas production is about 6.1% at a wellhead pressure of 6 MPa, 4122, Productivity evaluation and estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) prediction of shale gas wells. Methods for evaluating and predicting the productivity of horizontal wells with non-uniform fracturing of shale gas were established (Wang, et al, 20175 Liv et al, 2016; Dai et al, 2017). The productivity model of non- ‘uniform fractured horizontal wells comprehensively considers the efects of desorption of adsorbed gas, unsteady diffusion, stress sensitivity, and unequal length and unequal distance of main “0-82 CAbsorption #12 UDesorption veem"a) “9-42 Absorption tea? CDesoxption epee ge a POMPa) Fig. 7 Experimental ess of desarption and absorption by al ameter cone (is eral 2018 be) (9 Corel k=0,0021810° ym? 2 Core? k-0.00879"10°% um sm Cored k=0.0149%10° ‘¢ Cored k=0,022910"4m" Fg. & contibution of ippage eect to apparent permeabty (Experimental dat, upubtsied) fractures. The pressure solution of single Anite conductvity- induced fractures was established by using. the source function ‘method. A productivity prediction analytical model of multi-stage fractured horizontal wells was established by using the potential superposition method to solve the pressure solution of fixed pro- duction and gas production of each fracture. This method can predict changes in production, pressure, and gas output in diferent racturing sections of horizontal wells with non-uniform fracturing, ‘of shale gas, and can realize quantitative descriptions ofthe fracture parameter distribution in fractured horizontal wells. Therefore. it ‘was applied for productivity prediction ofthe shale gas wells inthe Fuling area. The cumulative gas production of gas wells in 30 years will be (0.83.2) » 10" m’, with the contribution of desorption of adsorbed gas accounting for 10%—15% of the total production. ‘A prodluction decline analysis method of shale gas wells with variable production systems was established. It ean transform the production data with variable production and variable pressure into a relationship between regularized production and material balance time, and can predict the tecoverable reserves of gas wells atthe production stage with fixed production. The study shows that the shale gas wells in the Fuling area during early production are at the linear flow stage, Le, the pressure shows a linear relationship with the regularized production RNP—t°°, Accordingly, the rela- tionship between the EUR of gas wells and the modified formation coefficient (AcnKih) was established as EUR 0.0969 » Aem Vin + 0.226 w “The modified formation coefficient can comprehensively reflect, the product of fracture net area and formation effective perme- ability, with larger values related to better simulation effects and higher productivity. When the modified formation coefficient of shale gas wells in the Fuling area is more than 10,000 (1x 10 mm, the recoverable reserves of the gas wells can. reach 1.210" m? 44.23. Numerical simulation of coupled flow in complex medium of shale gas. A three-phase mathematical madel of multiple compo- nents including ol, gas, and water was established that considers ‘the mechanisms of non-instantaneous adsorption and desorption, nano-scale pore Knudsen flow, high-speed fracture non-Darcy low, and matrix-fracture non-steady flow in shale reservoirs (0 ‘describe uid phase change and percolation in shale reservoirs. The finite volume method was used for diseretization in the simulation2 Wet ab / Energy Geacene 1 (200) 55-68 ‘model, and an efficent solver was established on the basis of the constrained pressure margin method for the full implicit fast so- lution. A numerical simulation method based on embedded discrete fractures was proposed, which avoids the difficulty of convergence of the discrete fracture model based on unstructured srids and improves the calculation accuracy. The closure of the ‘matrix and fractures during development was simulated by using the stress sensitive function, and the structures of the horizontal wellbores were represented by the multi-stage well model. More- ‘ver, a wellbore flow model was developed on the basis ofthe drift ‘model and was coupled with the reservoir control equation to realize the integrated simulation of wellbores and reservoirs. 42. Design optimization of shale gas development scheme ‘The shale gas development scheme for the Fuling gas field was designed with the following parameters (Wang et al, 20183, b; Peng et al, 2016), (a) Layers No. 1 t0 3, with high organic carbon and authigenic silicon contents as well as well-developed organic pores, ‘were selected as the best penetration intervals fr horizontal ‘wells. The azimuths ofthe horizontal wells are perpendicular to the direction of maximum horizontal principal stress, and the maximum migration angle is less than 30° (b) The horizontal wells, each with a length of about 1500 m, ‘were fractured by 18-22 stages. (©) The cross-well pattern of clustered horizontal wells was adopted, The distance between two drilling platforms is the length of the horizontal section. Four rows of horizontal ‘wells were drilled through two platforms. The platforms are located in the middle ofthe two rows of horizontal wells. The blind area of reserve control was reduced from 1.26 km? to 018 kin (@) The spacing of horizontal wells for development was deter- mined to be 400 m~600 m. (¢) Inthe early production stage ofthe gas wells, the production system of managed-pressure production was adopted to maximize the conductivity ofthe fracture network. (0 The average testing production and the predicted EUR of a single well are 255 x 10" m'jd and 125 x 10% m’, respectively, 42.1. Drilling and completion of shale gas wells Based on the evaluation of geological sweet spots and geo- steering technology and comprehensive consideration of the hor- izontal well trajectory, precise control of the well trajectory Fracture extension ditection, and treatment scope during the frac- turing stimulation, a synchronous design of drilling—fracturing was developed to greatly reduce the drilling, completion, and fracturing ‘cle and to gradually improve the fracturing effec. 42111. Optimized and fast drilling of shale gas well factory in ‘mountainous areas. An economic evaluation model of the well factory operation mode was established. The ground layout scheme and well trajectory design method of four-eight well-type well factory platforms were formulated (Niu al, 2014; Ai etal, 2014). A self-propelied drilling rig with 360° overall safe transportation was developed to realize a rapid movement of drilling rigs and a seamless connection between operation procedures. By using these technologies, the drilling cycle was shortened by 32.67%; the operation efficiency ofthe drilling rig equipment increased by 40%; the developed reserves factor was 100%; and the wel site occu- pation area was reduced by 82.5%. A low pressure drop, oil-resistant, turbine-type hydraulic oscillator with 200 h of working duration and a pressure drop of 2-3 MPa was developed to effectively solve the backing pressure problem in drilling (Hu et al. 2014). We utilized several advanced techniques such as rapid drilling with a top drive conductor + hydraulic propeller + large drill collar, initial open composite drilling with clear water + a high power screw +a PDC bit, secondary open directional drilling consisting of deflection with ‘medium curvature + targeting with ow deflection + exploration of the top with steady deflection, and tertiary open drilling consisting, ofa wear-resistant polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit an oil resistant screw in long horizontal sections. These methods enabled us to determine the maximum length of the stable incl- nation in the directional section, at 1726 m, and the maximum length of the horizontal sections, at 3065 m. In addition, the average drilling cycle was shortened by more than 30% compared ‘with that during the intial stage, and the shortest driling cycle was 37 . The one-tip drilling ratio in the horizontal sections of development wels in the upper reservoirs reached 70% and that of the infil adjustment wells was up to 50%, 42.12. Drilling fluid system for horizontal shale ges wells. The main emulsifier SMEMUL- 1, co-emulsiier SMEMUL-2 and flow-pattern regulator SMHSFA with multiple active points and oligomeriza- tion were developed, together with an oil-based drilling fluid sys- tem featuring a low oil-water ratio, low viscosity, and high shear (av and Ding. 2018). When the oil-water ratio ranged from 75:25 to 60:40, it still maintained good rheological properties and emulsi- fication stability. When applied in the iaoshiba area, the minimum oil-water ratio was controlled to be 67:33~76:24, with a temper- ature resistance up to 150 "Cand a cost reduction of mote than 40%. 4213, Cementing for horizontal shale gas wells. An SFP elastic-tough cement slurry system for shale gas well cementing in ‘middle—shallow strata and a hardened SFP (SFP—H) elastic—tough cement slurry system with thermostability for shale gas well cementing in deep strata were developed (Li et al, 2017a), The cement slurry has a density ranging between is 155 and 2.50 g) em’; a compressive strength of 24 h greater than 17 MPa: and a ‘ment toughness increased by more than 40%, which is 40% higher than the cementing capacity of a conventional cement rock intes- face. Field application shows that the qualified rate of the cementing quality is 100%, and the high quality rate is 92% A new foam cement slurry system was developed with a cement rock clastic modulus lower than 4 GPa and a minimum density of less than 12 g/cm’. Under the same conditions, the cementing ability Increased by more than 50% compated with the conventional ow density cement slurry interface, which meets the cementing requirement for deep horizontal shale gas wells 422, Multi-scale volume fracturing for horizontal shale gas wells 42.21, Optimum design of multi-scale facture network fracturing in shale reservoirs. To apply the sweetness value as a quantitative basis for fine division of segment clusters, the fracture morphology, SRV, and facture conductivity of the expected production were studied on the basis of the numerical simulation model of dual ‘medium gas reservolrs. By using a fracture dynamic expansion model of the diserete fracture network (DEN), the key fracturing parameters such as displacement, scale, material were optimizedYe det a egy Geen 1 (2020) 55-68 s iang e¢ al, 2016). The production profile testing results show that the proportion of deficientjineffective segments decrease from 2/3 to 1/8 after fracturing. 4222. Fracturing control of shale gas. Different properties ofl lds and particle size proppant combinations were identified on ‘the basis ofthe optimization and control af net pressure ofthe main fractures and according tothe process of design- =construction-analysis—optimization to conduct staged frac- turing, the volume fracturing technology of control in near zones ‘expanding to far zones, multi-scale fracture initiation, and gracled Teacture support with different displacements (Jiang, et al, 2018). ‘These properties were applied tothe injection mode with prepared acid slick water +- gel liquid and to sanding mode with a proppant ‘combination of 70/140 mesh 40/70 mesh +3050 mesh. Azipper- style fracturing model matched with the cluster cross-well arrangement in mountainous areas was formed, and a multi-well streamlining and batched operation was realized. Compared with that in the single well fracturing mode, the operation period was shortened by 30-40%, and the production of the single well increased by 168-51.6%, 42.23. Post fracturing assessment for shale reservoirs. AG-function analysis chart was established for judging the shape and complexity of fractures. According to the variation range and fre- {quency of the G-function curve, the fracture shape at each opera- tion stage was qualitatively described, and single main fractures, complex fractures, and network fractures were also identified. At the work ste, image monitoring ofthe induced fracture shape was conducted by using main monitoring equipment such as a fracture inclinometer and a micro-seismic instrument. The single cluster effective, stimulated reservoir volume (ESRV) increased. from 20 10% m? to 23 x 10* m3, and the coincidence rate with the Analysis result of the G-function chart was more than 90% 43, Tight gos 43.1. Evaluation of promising target zones of tight gas In addition to the fine description of spatial distribution of a single sand body, the establishment of a reservoir architecture, a geological knowledge database, and a three-dimensional (3D) geological model according to multi-point geostatistics, we adop- ‘eda multiple regression analysis method to define the relationship between the open flow rate and the gas layer thickness, physical properties, gas-bearing potential, and sanding volume. A 3D dis- tribution map of open flow capacity was thereby simulated to identify the economic and effective development zones (Liv et al., 2008; Dong et al, 2008) (Fig. 9) 432. Enhancement of well production and recovery of tight gas 43.2.1. Improving the recovery ina well network with multiple layers ‘and multiple well pattems. Well spacing was optimized by describing the scale of sand bodies, the scope of the fracturing, stimulation, and the drainage radi of the gas wells. Evaluating the geometric shapes ofthe sand bodies and the orientation of in-situ stress served to determine the geometry of the well pattern. A combination of the economic evaluation structure and the eco- ‘nomic limit of the well pattern density functioned to determine a reasonable well network density of blocks with different reserve abundances. As for the several sets of gas layers in the vertical rection, the vertical well pattern was dominant, whereas combined horizontal and vertical wells were used for single reservoirs in the ‘main strata. During early development of the Sulige gas fel, vertical wells were chiefly used to confirm the distribution feature ‘of gas layers in blocks, and horizontal wells were then deployed. At ‘resent, on the basis of fine characterization of single sand bodies, horizontal wells and various well types have been combined to improve the control degree of reserves and the recovery rato (Yan et al, 2016; Liu et al, 2016). 43.22. Improving well production. Mechanical packers and separate-layer fracturing with a casing slipper were used to stim- ‘ulate multiple layers in vertical wells. By applying a large bore packer, a porous ball seat, and the multi-layer stress profile, layered fracturing was increased from 3 layers to 11 layers, and the frac- turing cycle was reduced from 23 days to 1 day, amounting to a cost reduction of 25%. In horizontal wells, the intial production reached three times that of vertical wells by using a multi-stage hydraulic sand jet of sliding sleeve and open-hole packer staged {racturing technology (Tan etal, 2016). 4323. Drainage gas recovery. The newly developed technology of drainage gas recovery isto produce gas with foaming drainage and complemented by restoring production with a velocity string, plunger gas it, and gas lif. Several series of foaming agents and ddefoamers were developed. Injection technology and parameters ‘were designed for diferent types of gas wells. For wells with a gas production of more than3,000 m?/d and no serious liquid loading, foaming drainage was adopted. For those with gas production of ‘more than 5000 m?/d and severe liquid loading, the velocity string was adopted. For belching wells with gas production of 2000-5000 m*/d, the plunger gas lift was adopted. For belching ‘wells with gas production of less than 2,000 m’/d, a reasonable ‘work system was adopted to achieve intermittent well opening, For waterflooded shut-down wells, gas lift by compressor was adopted, 44, Coalbed methane 4.41. Dring and completion of coalbed methane wells The newly developed drilling/completion technologies include vertical well diling technology represented by air drilling and PDC bit + screw motor composite drilling, cluster well drilling tech- nology represented by directional drilling, horizontal well drilling technology represented by geosteering drilling, and reservoir ‘damage control technology in drilling processes represented by underbalanced driling and temporary shielding plugging. ‘Well types are developing toward diversification and complex structures from vertical wells to U-shaped horizontal wells, V- shaped horizontal wells and cluster wells and further to mult lateral horizontal wells and butted wells. To reduce the occupa- tion area and control the drilling cost, cluster well technology has become the main well pattern for developing CBM in the eastern Hubei and Qinshui areas in recent years, 4.42. Stimulation of coalbed methane reservoirs ‘The fracturing technology has evolved from fracturing with, large fluid volume, large displacement, large sand volume to a system with moderate fluid volume, variable displacement, and moderate sand ratio. Fracturing with moderate fluid volume can Detter increase the depressurization area (0 improve production Fracturing with variable displacements can better control fracture heights. An excessively low sand ratio cannot release stress in fractures of coal beds and is not enough for generating effective fractures: an excessively arge sand ratio will lad to sand plugging, during the early and middle—late stages, which will reduce thecy Wet ab / Energy Geacene 1 (200) 55-68 Contour map of 05 layer thickness Pretoton model of open ow ospaciy yop aX bY. Criterion fr judging producbity inthe get zone Distribution map of| open low capacity in target zane Cconiour map of porosity Contour map of saturation 2X.Yand Zareresevoe physical properties j | | | | of development 230 "Fig. 9. Flow chart for selecting favorable ages aas for igh 435 (Based on our esearch, unpublished) fracture conductivity. Considering that an excessive production rate can lead to coal dust spitting, technologies of secondary fracturing and plugging removal by nitrogen foam were developed. Aiming at ‘multiple coal beds and thin coal beds, staged fracturing combined with coal beds and surrounding rocks was developed. Moreover, @ roof fracturing technology was created in consideration of regions with well-developed tectonic coal beds. Besides, several technologies were developed for the staged fracturing in horizontal wells, such as twin packers and single sticks, hydraulic jetting the fixed string slide sleeve, and the drill able mechanical bridge plug. Fracturing fluids tend to be multi- variate fracturing fluids on the basis of active water, as can be shown by the newly developed fracturing fluids such as foam/gas fracturing fluid, clean fracturing fluid, and potential acidic frac- turing fluid. Moreover, low density and ultra-low density prop- pants were prepared too, 443. Quantitative drainage recovery of coalbed methane ‘Tasolve the problem of sharp production decline caused by coal dust and stress-sensitive damage, delicate drainage recovery technology with five stages, three pressures, and four controls was developed with a pressure control-dust control-fixed pressure system as the core. This method takes bottom hole flowing pressure control as the core and considers reservoir pressure, near desorp- tion pressure, desorption pressure, and stable production pressure as control nodes. On the bass of production features during various periods, the CEM drainage recovery is divided into five stages: fast liquid extraction, continuous drainage by depressurization, slow drainage by depressurization, gas producing by controlling pres- sure and drainage, and stable drainage recovery, which serve to improve the development efficiency of CBM (Hiu et al., 2012). Application of a combined layered pressure control and drainage technology and equipment to zones with multiple coal beds turned ‘out with positive results, 5. Challenges and prospects of unconventional gas development in China 54. Challenges Development practices revealed the disadvantages of uncon- ventional gas resources in China, including poor quality, high cost, and low economic efficiency. Many challenges exist in developing evaluation and production technologies for substantial improve- ‘ment in well productivity and the recovery. SIM. Shale gas In China, shale gas is characterized by large amounts of re- sources of multiple types and complex geological and surface conditions. Thus far, only the middle—deep marine strata in theYe det a egy Geen 1 (2020) 55-68 6 Sichuan Basin have been exploited. In the uling and Weiyuan areas, a decline in the fast production and a low recovery ratio of about 12% were noted after five years of production. For deep shale 12s, factors like the complex structure, high in-situ stress, and low brittleness have led to long drilling cycles and created challenges in volume fracturing, In continental shale strata, oil and gas coexist ‘with poor gas-bearing potential. High-quality shale reservoirs are thin in single layer thickness, high in clay mineral content, and show fast vertical and horizontal variations, and poor fracabilty; ‘thus, well production is low under current engineering conditions. Therefore, for shale reservoirs in deep strata in marine facies with normal pressure and in continental facies, itis necessary to seek high-quality shale gas resources and sweet spots and to develop low-cost engineering technologies. 512. Tight gos Tight gas development is relying on tighter and deeper reser- voirs. The burial depth ofthe massive tight sandstone gas reservoir in the piedmont tectonic belt of the Kuga area in the Tarim Basin fan reach more than 5000 m with abnormally high pressure. Exploration in the Ordos Basin i transitioning to the basin margin, where the gas-water relationship is complex and the reserve uality is low; thus, effective development is hard. The original ‘water saturation of the Xujiahe Formation gas reservoir is more than 45%, which doubles the workload of drainage gas recovery and greatly increases the operation cost. After mote than 10 years of ‘production, old gas fields have entered a decline stage at an average decline rate of about 20%, The wellhead pressure in most of these gas wells s close to that ofthe surface gathering and transportation system; the bottom-hole fluid loading is severe; and the gas field recovery ratios are low. 5.13. Coalbed methane ‘A large-scale commercial development of CBM is not initiated yet in China. The drainage recovery of CBM has to undergo a ‘rainage—depressurization—desorption—diffusion—percolation process, in which each stage restricts the production of CBM to result in a long drainage cycle, low well production, and long, duration for reaching the target production. The existing stimula- tion technologies thereby need to be upgraded. In addition, China hhas many low-rank coal-bearing basins of various kinds, which hhave more coal beds and high difficulty in fracturing stimulation. It is necessary to further study the entichment mechanism of low- rank CBM and the key technologies of effective development to increase single well productions. 5.2, Prospects 5.21. Shale gas development and evaluation technolagies ‘Several technologies have been developed based on the iden- tification and fine characterization of high-quality shale gas reser- voirs of deep marine strata and continental and transitional facies These include quantitative characterization of micro-pore config. uration of shale reservoirs; high-precision prediction and ‘comprehensive evaluation of sweet spots by using rock mechanics, ‘well logging. and seismic data in deep shale: experimental and test technologies of physical parameters such as shale porosity. water saturation, gas content, and permeability: and quantitative char- acterization of key geological parameters for different types of sweet spots of shale gas. ‘Techniques of physical simulation experiments and digital cove and molecular dynamics simulation of shale gas production process remain under consideration, The laws of adsorbed gas desorption and diffusion in deep shale and multi-scale gas-liquid two-phase flow under reservoir conditions have been investigated, and the {racture initiation and propagation mechanism and phase charac- teristics of continental shale gas have been analyzed. The coupled flow mechanism of shale gas in nano-, micro-, and macro-scales has bbeen studied in depth. Optimization techniques for stereoscopic development of well patterns consisting of horizontal wells with ‘multiple layers and shale gas simulation comprising fracture propagation simulation, modeling. and numerical simulation, have also been developed. Dynamic monitoring techniques such as fracturing networks. and gas-liquid profiles of horizontal wells have been developed to provide the basis for development well emplacement as well as the ‘optimal design of cluster fracturing and refracturing 5.22. New generation of shale gas fracturing technologies ‘Jo further improve the timeliness and controllability of frac- turing stimulation of shale gas reservoirs, the optimization of horizontal length -fracturing scale match has been done to reduce ‘operation pressure. In addition, deep and high-channel volume fracturing and rock self-propping composite acid fracturing tech- zhiques have been developed to further improve the SRV. A hybrid fracturing technique combining pure liquid COp and supercritical Oy has been tested. The reuse efficiency of a fracturing fuid sys- tem with one-agent multiple effects, ultra-low concentration, and flowback fluid has been enhanced ‘To greatly improve the productivity and recoverable reserves of. 4 single well, the law of synchronous initiation and extension of fractures under multi-cluster perforation conditions has been investigated to ensure the contribution of each cluster to gas pro- duction. The pulse fracturing technique and downhole pulse tools Tor shale gas development have been considered to maximize the SRV and effective fracture lengths. Multi-luster planar perforation, ‘multi-stage temporary plugging and diversion techniques, and proppants with ultra-low density (volume density <1.2 gem’) and ultra-fine grain size (200-325 mesh) have been considered 10 improve the sanding strength and fracture-propping performance {in wells. The refracturing teclnique has been considered to further improve the EUR of single wells. ‘To strengthen research on enhancing the recovery of shale g infill well patterns and stereoscopic development technologies hhave been considered. Intelligent well trajectory control and multi: Dore well, radial well, and mult-lateral well completion technol- ‘gies have been developed. Fracturing techniques have been opti ‘mized to improve the vertical recovery of reserves. Synergistic technologies developed by combining physies and chemistry such as increased permeability through chemical measures, vaporization Of liquefied nitrogen, oxidative explosion, and rock breakage by ‘microwave heating have been considered and developed to fully stimulate the units by creating complex micro-fractures and thus further release the potential shale gas resources. COp-flooding technology has been considered! to enhancee the shale gas recovery while storing CO, underground. Additional effort has been made on the research and development of key materials and devices such as nano-scale desorption functional fracturing fluid, a downhole intelligent gas-water monitoring and control device, and a downhole low-frequency electromagnetic induction fracture ‘monitoring device to improve the recovery efficiency and high- efficiency development in old areas. 5.2.3. Technologies for increasing single well productivity and the recovery ratio of tight gas ‘To further increase single well productivity, various types of horizontal wells such as stepped horizontal wells and mult-lateral horizontal wells, and the relationship between well type and reservoir distribution, have been investigated to improve the re- covery of reserves. The staged stimulation technology of horizontal% Wet ab / Energy Geacene 1 (200) 55-68 wells with long horizontal sections has been upgraded and the fracturing process has been improved to increase the SRV while avoiding the influence of aquifers, thus improving the stimulation performance. ‘To increase the recovery ratio of tight gas, a dynamic geological ‘model has been established to characterize the distribution af the remaining gas. and optimal well spacing and row spacing have been designed to consider both the recovery factor and the gas recovery rate. For increasing the numbers of low-yield wells and water-producing wells, production has been optimized by applying the zone-specific strategy. On this basis, refracturing and drainage fas recovery techniques have been adopted to effectively reduce the decline rate 52.4, New technologies for developing coalbed methane ‘Separate-bed fracturing and multi-bed commingled production technology has been developed for mult-coal bed reservoirs thin in thickness. Fine identification technology of multi-coal beds super- imposed on reservoirs has got advanced and separate-bed frac- turing and commingled production technology has been considered to improve the CBM production in multiple coal beds. ‘Technologies for identifying sweet spots of low-rank CBM, staged fracturing of horizontal wells in thick coal beds, and sand stratification and low-concentration guar gum fracturing, have been developed Coiled tubing hydraulic jet staged fracturing of horizontal well, clusters and jetting pump + an intelligent drainage recovery sys- tem have been considered for deep CBM development. 52.5. Optimization of large amounts of data and intelligent exploitation technologies Large amounts of data and artifical intelligence (Al) have been. considered be applied to the entire process of unconventional gas development. Intelligent analysis, evaluation, and optimization techniques based on abundant data and deep learning have been developed, such as the sweet spot identification and prediction technology based on the large amount of data, fracture prediction technology for tight reservoirs, dynamic analysis and prediction technology for shale gas wells based on machine deep learning. development scheme optimization technoogy based on intelligent simulation, intelligent optimization technology of large production systems with integrated underground and ground data, integrative ‘optimization system of intelligent operation and management, and production decision, Neat-bit precision steering technology based fon the large amounts of data has been developed. Automatic, Intelligent, optimized, and fast drilling and cementing technology, intelligent fracturing equipment and segmentation tools, and 3D Visual fracture monitoring technology and equipment have been developed following in-depth study to greatly improve the drilling rate and production of high-quality gas reservoirs, By virtue of Al technology, the cost of unconventional gas development has been ‘greatly reduced, and the benefits of gas field development have been correspondingly improved, 6. Conclusion China has a large amount of unconventional gas resources. With, 20 years of development, China has built a advanced theoretical and technical system for developing tight gas, shale gas, and CBM reservoirs, which has served to support the tight gas development in Sulige, Daniudi and Dabei as well as shale gas development in Falin and Weiyuan, However, the practices also indicate that the poor quality of unconventional gas resources in China brings many challenges in efficient large-scale development. The key theories and technologies for greatly improving well production and the recovery should be developed such as high-quality reservoir identification and fine characterization technology suitable for different unconventional gas reservoirs, optimized and fast drilling and completion of wells with long horizontal sections as well as large-scale volume fracturing. multiple well-type development, Injection fluid, and nano-flooding et al, with a view to promoting, the rapid development of unconventional natural gas in China, ‘Acknowledgement ‘The authors appreciate Yan Jin, Chen Gang, and Feng Zhaojun from Sinopec Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute; and Wang Haitao and Bian Xiaobing from Sinopec Research Institute of Petroleum Engineering, for their assistance in this work References ‘i be Thang JC Zang, Yl, Xi, MB, 2014. The ky ding echoes in fling Shale gs Bel Petroleum ring Tehaigues #2 (3), 15. ao, ag, XZ, XH, Wang. 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TX, Li 2X, 2014, Large-scale multi-stage by sisal Hacturing technology fr shale gas harold well JYIME. etaeum Ding Techniques 42 (1), 75-80, ‘TY, Wang, F, 207, Comparative analss of the accumulation cond tions and development strategies ofthe marine ad lacustrine shale as fom {the schian Basin, China, Natural Gas Geosence 28 (4) 633-64 ‘Zou, CX. tha, Gat Zhang, GY. Wang, HJ Zhang. GSU, J Wang. 2M. ‘wen, 2, ta, F ang, Yang, 2, Lang K, 2015 Formation te ‘ation, poten nd prediction af lal conventional sd conventional Iyrocarbonresoures Petrol Explor: Dew. 42 (1), 13-25. ‘zou, ON. Yang He, DB. WeL YS. Us}, Ja AL Chen J) 2ha0, QU. YL “fang. 2018 Theory, eehnology and prospacs of conventional and Uneo ‘enon natural ga, Petrol Explor Dev 4 (8) 575-38 Lang denice Ry eosin fe development engineering expe. roms Seior Engineer. Hes former deputy chit engner of Sinopec. Vie ean of cen commite fo standardization Df petrol ny. Cain a SPE southern Chi branch His research ress ine continent high ate {rod fee, Marne carbonate fated my et Voie CCUS and supporting enincringtecinolgy fro and gs fl development. He eas eset of evra Destination! swans sich 3-1 Sang Glog See Amare San Yue! Energy Aware ang He [Uindstalnovaten wai from Covernment of hi ‘hau Dehua rceved MRD. degre in oil and gas fl development from te Unversity of Petreum fen Professor level engine He Depa Serta’ he ‘onentonsl Profesional Commit of eines Pe Teum Society. Deputy Secretary ofthe Shale Gas Sundadzation Teckel Conus of he Ete nd {cand member ofthe 6 Edtoral Commitee a Peso Team Experimental Geology. His esearch areas ince Uuneonventonsl of and gas development research and projet management He partipted i the expiration $d production cnt of age scale sale as elas Stas the Flag Shale Cs snd Weong Stale Gas Pek. {il publched ence hun 20 papers Wang Wong is cit expert a Petreum Exolration and Production Resear state, SINOPEC Group. Se Jot nto singe a 204 orn 190 to 2008, she was Assoc professor at Xan shou Universi Wang bls ier Mu degree in petreum eagieering om Research Insitute of Petroleum Exploration and Development Het ‘esearch ineess include mechani for sales coon theory af welb-testctal Se awarded he National “inp jan, Pad, Profesor evel englner, Sinopec 6 ior exper Diettr of reser timation departnen bf Sinope Research Insite of Petroleum Engineering RIPE) Have an experience of 29 years seve Ui eseich and application especial in actu theory and mechanics design method and new tech gues frm the yea f 1991-2008, worked in acting SAcidizing Service Center of Rescate Ista of Per Team Exploration an Development RID), Pettochina Pallished 235 papers with 8 the fst athor and about BD SPE papers, published 4 eonogriphs in shale ol & tore patents eth 27 the steno a mol £9 Go= Wet ab / Energy Geacene 1 (200) 55-68 ue Zhao, Prfesor-levelselorengnee, graduated long been devoted to the research and promotion of ol ‘Hom the Univesity of Pole (East China) i 1993, and gs fe development and enhanced ll recovery (hin He lol and as fd development expen Sino: tccolgy an pulsed mace Can 20 papers ‘< Olfie Exporton and Development Divison. He has