The ESG Path to Low-Carbon Footprint: Recommended Practices and Lessons Learnt from Electrifying Recovery of the Giant Shale-Gas Basin in China

Abstract The strategic target and path to peak CO2 emissions and carbon neutrality, which have been initiated by several countries over the last decade, considerably affected whole energy industry especially oil and natural gas fields. The recoverable shale-gas reserves of Sichuan Basin in China is beyond 1.0×1012 m3. Environmental pollution and carbon emission issues caused by diesel-powered operations cannot be ignored. The electrification of upstream operations has been concerned and applied only in production, processing and transportation. Electrification work towards shale gas was still faced with poor economy when large-power operations such as drilling and fracturing are performed. Due to unpredictable developing progress and high energy-consuming operation, power supply and load demand forecast is quite challenging. Existing operations using coal-based power generation negatively affects environmental-social-governance (ESG) initiatives without green renewable energy. One ESG path to green production and recommended practices towards electrifying recovery were proposed in this paper. Fully electric-powered equipment (2500HHP to 7000HHP pumping units, blending units, manifold etc.) was widely used with 35kV customized power grids. Due to great hydropower in Sichuan Basin, power generation exhibits seasonal fluctuation and focused on peak electricity consumption for civilian use in summer and winter. The hydropower and energy-storage sharing with data centers was applied to deal with seasonal energy supply and fluctuating load especially fracturing operations with great economic advantages. Electrical load variation and power gap between supply and demand were precisely forecasted through machine-learning algorithms under different conditions of drilling and fracturing. At the end of 2022 shale-gas production in Sichuan Basin has increased to 1.39×1010 m3. Hydropower proportion has accounted for 72% of power consumption for shale-gas development with 19 newly-constructed transformer substations, 1145.7 km of 35kV grids and 1197 MVA of grid capacity. The fully electric-powered operation reached almost 40% of all operating pads. It was estimated that hydrocarbon fuels of 6.1×105 ton were replaced and CO2 emission reduction reached more than 7.7×105 ton so far. The detailed recommended practices and lessons learnt from electrifying shale-gas recovery were guidable for the recovery of other unconventional resources.