In recent years, Chongqing's Fuling District has attracted much attention due to its outstanding natural resource potential and economic development potential. As a county-level administrative region famous for the production of mustard, Fuling not only has a well-known mustard brand, but also has made remarkable progress in other fields, which can be called one of the more typical and unique regions in China and even the world. Recently, more than 900 billion cubic meters of large-scale continental shale gas fields have been successfully explored in Fuling, ranking second in the world in terms of reserves, second only to the United States, which is known as the "shale gas kingdom". The news undoubtedly brought great surprise and affirmation to the public who continue to pay attention to energy development and industrial development.
In the current era of globalization, China is facing many opportunities and challenges in the process of promoting regional economic development. In this context, the exploration and practice of Fuling in Chongqing is of great significance for China's future regional revitalization and comprehensive strength improvement. This article will analyze and interpret the gratifying achievements of Fuling and Chongqing in economic transformation and scientific and technological innovation from multiple perspectives.
Geography - adapt measures to local conditions and fully explore their own advantages
Fuling is located in southwest China, backed by the Yangtze River basin, with a strategic geographical location. Since ancient times, Fuling has been famous for agriculture as the leading industry, especially for mustard production. However, with the changes of the times, it is difficult to meet the growing material and cultural needs of the people of Fuling by relying solely on agriculture. To this end, Fuling has found the right time, actively complied with the national development strategy of advantageous and characteristic industries, accelerated the process of new urbanization, and realized the transformation from the original single agricultural city to a diversified and three-dimensional urban economic development model.
Among them, the National Shale Gas Demonstration Base, located in Baitao Street, Fuling District, has become a banner for the local economic development of Fuling and even the whole of China with its rich oil and gas resource reserves, complete industrial system and developed transportation network. It is understood that the base has completed the third phase of the main project and officially put into use, with an annual production capacity of 27500 million cubic meters, setting a number of records for the development of shale gas fields in China. This large and high-quality shale gas field has further enhanced Fuling's competitive advantage in the domestic and international markets.
In addition, Fuling also actively takes advantage of its unique geographical conditions and attaches great importance to the development of tourism in the districts and counties. By improving the infrastructure support, digging deep into the regional context, and improving the quality of service, it has attracted a large number of tourists to come for sightseeing and tourism, and broadened the income of local residents. At the same time, Fuling District also pays attention to strengthening ecological environmental protection, practices the concept of green development, and strives to build a bright pearl of ecological livability.
Economy: Transformation and upgrading, accelerating the transition from traditional industries to modern industries
In recent years, the work report has repeatedly proposed to promote high-quality economic development. It is in this wave that Chongqing Fuling adheres to the scientific concept of development, continuously promotes the upgrading of the industrial structure, and promotes the transformation of the local economy from traditional agriculture to modern industry. In terms of modern industrial layout, Fuling relies on the national shale gas demonstration base to vigorously develop emerging industrial clusters; Using the early agricultural foundation, we have innovatively developed the deep processing technology of mustard to create a mustard industry system covering the whole industrial chain of planting, manufacturing and sales; Focusing on the application of shale gas extraction, we have built an industrial system including equipment manufacturing, electronic appliances, auto parts and other industries, forming a multi-level and diversified modern industrial pattern.
In the process of transformation and upgrading, Fuling District closely combines the local reality, provides all-round services for enterprises in various ways such as policy guidance, financial support, and talent training, solves the bottleneck problem, and ensures the smooth operation of the local economy. In addition, Fuling also actively implements the "going out" strategy, and carries out extensive cooperation with outstanding enterprises at home and abroad to explore overseas markets. At present, Fuling has established strategic cooperative relations with a number of multinational companies, laying a good foundation for opening up the international market.
Science and technology - take the forefront and lead the transformation of the economic development model to intelligent and green
Since the reform and opening up, Fuling has always regarded scientific and technological innovation as one of the key driving forces to promote local economic development. At present, with the rapid rise of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, and cloud computing, Fuling pays more attention to the introduction and cultivation of high-end scientific research teams to improve the ability of independent scientific and technological innovation. At the same time, Fuling also actively participates in the national key research and development program, implements scientific and technological demonstration projects, and continuously improves the conversion rate and economic benefits of scientific research achievements.
In addition, Fuling also attaches great importance to environmental protection issues, and strives to achieve sustainable economic growth of the city through the "innovation-driven, green development" model. For example, they use advanced process equipment and waste treatment technology to achieve zero waste discharge, by-product recycling, and resource efficiency**. In addition, we will actively promote the application of clean energy, encourage enterprises to adopt environmentally friendly technology and materials, and promote the construction of a global "green island" space.
Through the in-depth summary and research of Fuling's development experience, we can draw the following enlightenment: first, it is very important to choose a suitable industrial positioning and development path; Secondly, it is necessary to strengthen technological innovation and the improvement of scientific and technological strength, and grasp the core competitiveness; Finally, adhere to the concept of green development and promote economic transformation and social progress.
Unlike the rich traditional oil and gas fields in the Middle East, shale oil and gas is an extremely important and challenging energy resource. The mining process of this energy-rich land is more challenging than in the past.
Modern geology authorities generally agree that the oil and gas stored beneath the earth's surface are not recent, but are the result of the accumulation of ancient algae and biological remains in a specific environment. Over time, these materials were buried deep underground, underwent a variety of complex geological movements, and were transformed into the oil and gas resources we use today.
Oil and gas are in most cases interrelated. The Middle East, for example, has abundant natural oil and gas reserves, thanks to the natural wealth of God, and many wells are easy to harvest and incredibly cheap.
In contrast, however, the characteristics of the shale oil and gas fields discovered in Fuling are quite different, and they show characteristics that are completely different from the traditional resources in the Middle East. In the past, this was an unusable resource due to the limited level of extraction technology.
With a major breakthrough in U.S. extraction technology, shale oil and gas resources can finally be enjoyed with confidence and boldness, and in this context, the United States has transformed from an oil importer to an exporter, thus competing fiercely with the oil powers of the Middle East.
The unique shape of shale makes the oil and gas resources contained in it mainly distributed between the crevices of the shale, so the fluidity is relatively poor. Compared with the oil and gas fields in the Middle East, if the former is compared to rivers, lakes and seas, then shale oil and gas fields are undoubtedly small streams that gently swell between the two.
In addition, the shale oil extracted during the production process is also significantly different from conventional oil. Since shale oil and gas fields are not yet mature, the oil produced by them needs to go through fine processes such as dry distillation and refining after being exploited to achieve the same or better quality as traditional oil.
Despite the enormous difficulty of extraction and the high cost of post-processing, the production cost of shale oil and gas is still higher than that of oil and gas in the Middle East. Even so, the reason why the United States has been able to achieve net oil exports is still heavily dependent on the current high oil prices in the international market. If oil prices fall to a certain level, U.S. mining companies will inevitably face losses, which is one of the constraints that makes it difficult for the U.S. to overcome Middle Eastern countries and Russia.
In the early years, the shale oil and gas fields detected in Fuling ranked second in the world in terms of reserves and daily production scale, second only to the shale gas fields in the United States. The current production has exceeded 23 million cubic feet per day, which really helps to alleviate the shortage of petrochemical energy in China.
As of 2023, shale oil production here has exceeded 150,000 tons, with a cumulative gas production of more than 60 billion cubic feet, which undoubtedly plays a further abundant role in China's energy **.
In fact, the oil and gas fields in Fuling are not newly discovered in recent years, as early as the fifties of the last century, some geologists speculated that there are rich oil and gas resources here. At that time, when the People's Republic of China had just been founded, it was detained due to an extreme shortage of oil resources"Oil-poor countries"Petrochemical resources were the key to promoting industrial and economic development, and finding domestic oil and gas fields became the main responsibility of geographers at that time.
In the process of exploration, some geologists have discovered anticline structures in Jiaoshiba and its surrounding areas in Chongqing, which have higher oil and gas storage potential than other types. However, due to the limitations of the exploration technology at that time, the expert group was aware of but failed to actually detect the oil and gas reserves under Fuling, which can be described as a missed opportunity. Even then, if an oil and gas field was found, it was not possible to carry out the extraction operation smoothly because the extraction technology was not yet mature.
It is worth noting that before that, the technology for shale oil and gas extraction was first made by the United States. After more than 40 years, until 2001, Sinopec reassessed the area, including Fuling, and once again determined that it contains rich oil and gas reserves. Although, also due to technical reasons, the exploration team was unable to grasp the accuracy of the claimed reserves, so they did not risk mining work on a large scale. As a result, the shale oil and gas fields in Fuling have lost the opportunity to be discovered again.
During this time, however, shale oil exploration and extraction technology in the United States has improved significantly, thanks to technological advances. At the same time, Chinese companies have also begun to focus on shale oil and gas extraction technology, and have gradually mastered it"Artificial oil"The synthesis technology has laid a solid foundation for the development of Fuling shale oil and gas field.
In 2009, Fuling welcomed a new exploration team, and after a series of in-depth and detailed investigations, it was finally confirmed that the Fuling underground shale oil and gas field has proven natural gas reserves of up to 900 billion cubic meters, making the gas field one of the second largest shale gas fields in the world.
On this basis, after a three-year maintenance periodBy 2012, the Fuling shale oil and gas field finally entered the stage of commercial development, and the continuous oil and gas resources were fully exploited, effectively alleviating the energy demand of the surrounding areas. For the exploitation of shale oil and gas, China has finally achieved a breakthrough of zero after unremitting efforts.
It is worth pointing out that shale oil and gas extraction technology is now not exclusive to the United States; The rapid rise of China's related industries has broadened the best channels for domestic oil and gas resources, helping to reduce the impact of potential oil and gas import disruptions. Self-possession is indispensable, but how it works is more important.
The abundant oil and gas resources not only mean tangible economic benefits, but also constitute an important foundation for the luxury of the Middle Eastern countries. Their toilet hardware is a sign of wealth and status – all supported by the abundant oil and gas treasures contained underground. So, can the discovery of such a large-scale oil and gas field in Fuling City, Hubei Province, be a copy-and-paste way to propel this traditional small town into a state of prosperity and prosperity?
Although the territory of our motherland is vast, and many county-level administrative areas are quite large, the scale of Fuling is undoubtedly insignificant compared to a large country like Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the difference in strength between the two can be described as a world apart.
There is public information that showsSaudi Arabia has up to about 932 trillion cubic meters, equivalent to nearly 10 times of China's Fuling shale gas reserves. And that's just from the perspective of reserves, but when you compare the cost pressures faced by the two places for oil and gas development, the gap is even more obvious.
As we all know, oil exploitation in the Middle East is almost equivalent to a free gift, and its construction and work are not difficult; However, shale gas extraction in Fuling is far more complex than Saudi Arabia's oil and gas fields. Specifically, due to the cumbersome and extremely high cost of extraction, Fuling's oil and gas resources cannot fully follow the dynamics of the international market like Saudi Arabia. It is worth noting that if there is a war and conflict in some countries, oil and gas ** will inevitably soar, and Saudi Arabia will be able to enjoy this feast of interests exclusively.
For Fuling, it is obviously difficult to achieve the conditions for arbitrary pricing like Saudi Arabia. Under China's entire strategic layout, Fuling's shale gas can only choose to face the domestic market, and most of the resources are used to support the economic development of the surrounding areas.
In the field of oil and gas exploitation, despite the rapid development of science and technology, the excessive density of shale still brings great problems to development. Caution must be exercised throughout the process, otherwise mineral impurities can be mixed into the oil and gas resources and become heavily contaminated before they are exploited. In addition, these shale powders contain lead, sulfur and other harmful elements, if not properly treated, after their high temperature burning, it will inevitably pose a huge threat to the health of users and environmental protection, and the follow-up treatment and rectification will be more difficult.
Given that the total reserves of Fuling are only one-tenth of that of Saudi Arabia, and the mining cost is quite high, resulting in a relatively low **, it will inevitably face many challenges if it wants to follow Saudi Arabia and become a wealthy city. While it is true that local resources can help to boost the economic vitality of the region, it is undoubtedly undesirable to use them under the guise of oppressing the surrounding areas and gradually destroying themselves. At present, shale gas production in Fuling continues to show a steady growth trend, providing sufficient gas for more than 70 cities around the Yangtze River basin**, but for the residents living in Fuling, they do not directly feel the benefits of economic development.
In fact, despite the failure of local residents to accumulate wealth, the region, which sits on the world's second-largest shale gas field, is not as worthless as one might think. At the national level, the existence of this shale oil and gas field has a crucial role in solving many problems.
Especially in China, a large importer of petrochemical energy, how to ensure the safety of energy imports has become a worrying issue. Looking back, it is clear that the country is making continuous efforts to expand the share of imports of oil and gas resources in order to spread the risk in the import process and at the same time to gain a more advantageous negotiating position.
The Fuling shale oil and gas exploitation project can directly reduce China's dependence on imports in terms of natural gas, thereby ensuring the diversified development of China's energy chain. Being able to produce your own resources and then buy them is very different from having to rely on imports because you can't produce them yourself, and although you get what you need, the impact is completely different.
Looking back, a similar situation has happened in the shield machine market. When China has not yet mastered the relevant technology, Western businessmen arbitrarily raise its selling price, often hundreds of millions of dollars, which makes it difficult for China to bear. To make matters worse, even if we purchased the product, the after-sales service was not guaranteed, and if we needed to repair or replace parts, we would have to pay a high additional fee.
A similar phenomenon has occurred in the field of HVDC transmission. When China's technology in this field has not yet made a breakthrough,The United States, Europe, and Japanand other developed countries have imposed an embargo policy on their most advanced equipment, and only a part of China's most obsolete equipment has been imposed. Even those outdated equipment, which is no longer of much use to them, still have to pay a very high price to get them, even the money to buy turf and faucets.
However, with China's rapid progress in the field of shield machines and UHVDC transmission technology, Western businessmen immediately changed their tone and fiercely fought to establish close cooperative relations with China, and they were worried that China would no longer buy their products. It is true that independent research and development of technology does not mean that we will not buy related products from outside at all, but we no longer want to be wronged.
The situation is similar when looking at the shale oil and gas fields in Fuling today. When we have to rely on imports to meet domestic demand, we are at the mercy of others, and if we have products that we can replace, the object of purchase will immediately take on a new look, and the rapid change is comparable to that of Sichuan opera"Change face".Performance. Deep dependence on imports undoubtedly poses a potential threat to national energy security, and only self-control can have a real sense of security, and the discovery and exploitation project of the Fuling shale oil and gas field has effectively solved this major challenge to a certain extent.