ABSTRACT: Natural gas in China: A long-term perspective

Becker, Rocky , ExxonMobil Exploration - SE Asia, Houston, TX

China offers a large potential gas market supplied both by domestic gas development and gas imports. Energy growth in China is expected to increase significantly, especially for clean-burning fuels like natural gas. Currently, natural gas is only about 2% of primary energy usage, but is expected to increase to 6 to 8% over the next decade.

We will review ExxonMobil's perspective of natural gas in China, with particular focus on the potential for gas imports from the Amu Darya Basin in Turkmenistan into a West-to-East pipeline supplying eastern China. Initial results of a joint study among China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), Mitsubishi Corp., and Exxon Turkmenistan (Amudarya) Limited indicate that the resource is sufficient, the pipeline is technically feasible, and the supply cost has the potential to be competitive with LNG in eastern China.

As part of the former Soviet Union, Turkmenistan produced as much as 90 BCM per year, and currently claims proven gas reserves of 23 TCM. The vast majority of discovered hydrocarbons in the Amu Darya Basin occur in three plays: 1) Upper Jurassic barrier reef carbonate gas play, 2) Upper Jurassic isolated reefal buildup carbonate gas and oil play, and 3) Neocomian alluvial-marginal marine clastics gas play.

We will review the characteristics of the largest gas discoveries in the key plays identified.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90913©2000 AAPG International Conference and Exhibition, Bali, Indonesia