What are the proven geological reserves and depth of Sinopec's newly approved Ziyang Dongfeng shale gas field?

Sinopec has secured official approval for proven geological reserves of 235.687 billion cubic meters (8.323 trillion cubic feet) at its ultra-deep Ziyang Dongfeng shale gas field, which lies deeper than 4,500 meters (14,764 ft) in the Sichuan Basin.

How did Sinopec overcome exploration challenges at the Ziyang Dongfeng field, and what significance does this hold for China's shale gas development?

To overcome the challenges of exploring and evaluating the deep underground formation, Sinopec used artificial intelligence integrated with geophysical imaging to identify the reservoir; according to Liu Wei, director of Sinopec Southwest Petroleum Bureau, this validates the formation's vast potential and provides a replicable technical pathway to expand China's shale gas development frontier.