Analysis and countermeasures of natural gas development in China

Abstract

Natural gas has become a transitional bridge from fossil to green and clean energy worldwide. The importance of natural gas utilization in energy structure optimization and green development is no exception for China. However, the supply of China’s natural gas limits the country’s demand with three factors. (1) China’s natural gas resource is relatively rich, but its quality is poor with deep burial depth. Therefore, the annual plateau yield of natural gas cannot be high, with an estimated value of approximately 260–270 ×10⁹ m³. (2) The demand for natural gas in China’s economic development is growing rapidly. The peak demand is estimated to be approximately 550–650 ×10⁹ m³ per year or even higher. The import volume of natural gas will soon exceed that of domestic self-produced gas. (3) Natural gas is a necessity closely related to livelihood. Particularly, a shortage in natural gas supply affects social stability. Therefore, its external dependency should be under 50% and not exceed 60%. In this study, the future situation of China’s natural gas is forecasted, and relevant countermeasures and suggestions are proposed in accordance with research on China’s natural gas resource potential, production trend, supply-demand link, and gas supply safety factors.

Keywords

natural gas / yield / consumption / external dependency / security situation

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Higher Education Press