en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 24, it was learned from Chuanqing Drilling Company that CNPC's shale gas "211 Project" has achieved phased results in the Lu 201 well area, with the drilling speed of completed wells increasing by more than 25% compared to the average level in the same region, and drilling costs decreasing year-on-year, marking a major breakthrough in accelerating deep shale gas drilling in China.
Currently, unconventional oil and gas, represented by shale gas, is the most realistic replacement resource for China's strategy of "stabilizing oil production and increasing gas production." Compared with medium-shallow layers, deep shale gas is buried deeper and has more complex in-situ stress, leading to exponentially higher drilling and fracturing costs. The high investment has become a major bottleneck restricting its large-scale and cost-effective development.
The deep shale gas in Luzhou is known as the "toughest nut to crack" for shale gas in southern Sichuan. Data shows that the average burial depth of the Lu 201H6 and H7 platforms exceeds 4,700 meters, with downhole temperatures reaching 160 degrees Celsius. Based on this, CNPC has deployed the "211 Project" in the Lu 201 well area, aiming to accelerate drilling, reduce costs, and improve efficiency, with targets of "increasing single-well EUR (Estimated Ultimate Recovery) by 20%, reducing unit EUR cost by 10%, and improving drilling and fracturing efficiency by 10%." As the contractor, Chuanqing Drilling, in collaboration with Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company, has forged a new path for accelerating deep shale gas drilling in China.
The breakthrough stems from a shift in mindset. The "211 Project" breaks down traditional barriers between operators and contractors, leveraging a full-cost turnkey reform to build an integrated management model centered on EUR. "Previously, production was the responsibility of the operator. Now, with joint EUR-linked assessment, we share rewards if targets are met and face deductions if not. The cost-effective development of production directly affects the interests of both parties," said Gan Jianhua, Deputy Chief Engineer of Chuanqing Drilling. At the same time, Chuanqing Drilling has delegated 12 operational autonomy rights, including material procurement, to drilling teams, truly achieving "on-site decisions for on-site issues, and team management for team affairs."
The breakthrough stems from revitalized mechanisms. Chuanqing Drilling implements a differentiated three-tier assessment system of "profit-making, break-even, and loss-reduction," with excess profits allocated to drilling teams for independent distribution at a rate of 20%. Under the policy incentives, frontline drilling teams actively explore cost-saving potential: employees use construction intervals to clean mud tanks themselves, saving outsourcing costs; teams build water supply pipelines on their own, saving hundreds of thousands of yuan compared to external contracting; each team streamlines staffing and optimizes shift configurations as needed, fostering a competitive and collaborative atmosphere.
The breakthrough stems from technological innovation. The "211 Project" adopts constant torque drilling mode, paired with optimized bottom hole assembly and bit selection, and installs vibration-dampening tools to suppress drill string vibration, ensuring stable bit penetration into the formation. The mechanical drilling speeds for the second and third spud sections have increased by 46.2% and 84.6%, respectively, compared to the optimal level in the block.
The breakthrough stems from digital and intelligent empowerment. In the Lu 201 well area, a digital and intelligent command center for drilling and completion operations has been established on the drilling platform, achieving a stuck pipe warning accuracy of 95% and reducing drilling and completion failure time by 29% year-on-year. Through intelligent trajectory optimization, the H6 and H7 platforms reduced directional drilling sections by 300 meters and 500 meters, respectively, shortening the total drilling cycle by 4.8 days. The H6 platform set a record for the fastest 10,000-meter footage by a single rig and single crew in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, completing it in just 52 days.
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