China’s Changqing Oilfield Sustains High Output Through Technological Advances
Overview of Sustained Production Performance
Changqing Oilfield has continued to maintain a high level of oil and gas output, with annual production remaining above 60 million tons of oil equivalent in recent years. Since reaching this milestone in 2020, the oilfield has consistently sustained this scale of production, highlighting its long-term contribution to China’s domestic energy supply.
As one of the country’s most important upstream assets, Changqing Oilfield plays a strategic role in supporting energy security by delivering stable volumes of crude oil and natural gas under increasingly complex resource conditions.
Resource Characteristics and Development Challenges
Located primarily within the Ordos Basin, Changqing Oilfield is characterized by reservoirs with low pressure, low permeability, and relatively limited resource abundance. These geological conditions present significant technical challenges for efficient extraction and large-scale development.
Overcoming such constraints has required continuous investment in exploration, reservoir evaluation, and production technologies. Rather than relying on conventional development models, the oilfield has focused on adapting its technical approach to suit unconventional and hard-to-produce reservoirs.
Technological Innovation Driving Unconventional Resource Development
In recent years, Changqing Oilfield has intensified efforts to advance the commercial development of unconventional oil and gas resources. This approach has supported the establishment of large-scale shale oil production bases and high-capacity natural gas development zones, expanding the role of unconventional resources within China’s energy mix.
Ongoing technological innovation has enabled improvements in drilling efficiency, reservoir stimulation, and production management. As a result, total oil and gas output reached a historical high in 2024, accounting for a significant share of the country’s overall production.
Field Applications and Operational Breakthroughs
Several on-site technological initiatives have contributed to enhanced production performance across key operating areas. In the Qingcheng region, hydraulic fracturing test platforms have been deployed to optimize stimulation strategies and improve single-well productivity in shale oil reservoirs.
Meanwhile, coalbed gas operations in Shaanxi Province have introduced new fracturing approaches that eliminate the use of traditional proppants, representing a shift toward alternative stimulation methods. In ultra-low-permeability oil zones in eastern Gansu, demonstration projects adopting revised water injection strategies have significantly accelerated production rates and increased annual output at the block level.
Implications for China’s Upstream Energy Development
The sustained high output of Changqing Oilfield reflects broader progress in China’s upstream oil and gas sector, particularly in the development of unconventional and technically challenging resources. Continuous technological advancement has allowed mature fields to maintain productivity while supporting national goals related to energy security and supply stability.
As exploration and production conditions become more complex, the experience gained at Changqing Oilfield offers valuable insights into how innovation-driven development can support long-term output growth in resource-constrained environments.