Domestic innovation aids China's push for shale gas

Jereh Group's booth at a trade show in Beijing. The company unveiled the latest turbine fracturing pump on Wednesday during the 14th China International Petroleum Petrochemical Technology and Equipment Exhibition held in Beijing. Provided to China Daily

China will become the third country after the United States and Russia capable of designing and building the turbine-driven fracturing equipment that can reduce costs and cut emissions during shale gas development.

Chinese private oil and gas equipment manufacturing and engineering company Jereh Group unveiled the latest turbine fracturing pump on Wednesday during the 14th China International Petroleum Petrochemical Technology and Equipment Exhibition held in Beijing.

"Industrial experts have spent years of research in this field, achieving little progress," said Zhou Shouwei, president of China Petroleum and Petrochemical Equipment Industry Association. "The new super power fracturing pump developed by the company utilizing advanced technical innovations will significantly contribute to non-conventional oil and gas development in China."

According to the 2014 Energy Working Guidance released by the National Energy Administration in late January, China's shale gas output this year will surge to eight times as much as production levels last year. Coal-bed methane production capacity will also increase to six times the level it was in 2013.

A current obstacle is China's unique geological conditions, which create problems for non-conventional natural gas exploration.

Jereh, the first Chinese company to sell shale gas exploration equipment to the US market, has been investing in research and development for the production of core equipment that can handle China's poor road conditions and the small size of its well sites.

According to the company, its latest turbine-driven fracturing equipment possesses many advantages including a smaller footprint, lighter weight and fewer carbon emissions.

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