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Estimated Exploitable Resources of Shale Gas Reach 31 Trillion Cubic Meters in China
From: Portals of Ministry of Land and Resources   Source: People’s Daily   Time: February 13, 2012

It is learnt from the National Geological Survey Working Conference concluded on February 12 that China will strengthen the survey and assessment of the unconventional energy resources such as shale gas as well as improve technologies to exploit those resources. Especially, China will strengthen the survey and appraisal of the shale gas, aiming to relieve the shortage of oil and gas in our country. In doing so, we will see a formation of the new pattern in the oil and gas prospecting and exploitation, which will help change the construction of our national prospecting and exploitation and even the entire energy resources. Wang Min, General Director of China Geological Survey and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Land and Resources, said that in 2012, China will strengthen the survey and assessment of the unconventional energy resources such as shale gas, coal bed gas, oil shale, tight sandstone gas, oil sand as well as improve technologies to exploit those resources. Besides, China will promote the special declaration in the survey and appraisal of the shale gas and promote its development by setting the shale gas as the independent mineral resource to survey and appraise so as to promote its development. It is introduced that the shale gas is an independent mineral resource newly granted by the State Council. Lying in the shale with organic mud and between the shale layers, it is an unconventional natural gas in an absorptive and floating way, with methane as the major content. It is clear and efficient energy resource and chemical raw material, mainly used as the domestic gas, auto fuels, and also to supply heat for urban area, to generate power as well as for the chemical production. The production of shale gas needs no discharge of water with long production cycle about 30-50 years. The success rate of the prospecting and exploitation is high with higher industrial and economic values. China is rich in shale gas resources. It is estimated that the resources of shale gas in China are about 31 trillion cubic meters, equal to those of conventional natural gas.     The development of shale gas began in America. The American output of shale gas in 2011 had reached 180 billion cubic meters, greatly changing the consuming structure of energy resources in America. According to the appraisal of all the areas except Tibetan region by the oil and gas center of the Ministry of Land and Resources, the resources of shale gas in China are roughly equal to those in America. It is predicted that in 2020, the output will exceed 100 billion cubic meters, catching up with the current output of the conventional natural gas. In 2030, the output will reach that of the conventional natural gas, nearly the same as America. Trying to realize the scale exploitation of shale gas as soon as possible will help relieve the shortage of gas and oil in China, which in turn will change the construction of our national prospecting and exploitation and even the entire energy resources. (Yu Meng)

Gold Output in China Ranking Top for Five Consecutive Years
Source: Portals of Ministry of Land and Resources   Citation: China Land and Resources News   Date: February 3, 2012

In 2011, the gold output in China has stood at 360.96 tons, 20 ton more than last year, up by 5.89%, ranking first as the gold producing county in the world for the five consecutive years. The provinces which rank among the top five are Shandong, Henan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Inner Mongolia, with the output accounting for 59.90% of the national output.

China’s Oil Resources to Rank Second in 2020
Source: Portals of Ministry of Land and Resources   Citation: China Land and Resources News   Date: January 31, 2012

It is reported that the second phase of the construction project for Chinese oil strategic storage will have been completed this year. Then, the total stored oil will hit 274 million barrels with approximately 37.53 million tons. Besides, China will plan to finish the entire work of constructing strategic oil storage by 2020 with about 500 million barrels of oil. By then, our oil storage will rank second in the world.

Shale gas approved to be a new independent mineral resource
Source: Portal Website of Ministry of Land and Resources   Citation: China Mining News   Date: Jan. 8, 2012

Shale gas, a sort of unconventional natural gas which is mainly composed of methane, was approved to be the 172nd mineral resource in China recently. The Ministry of Land and Resources will work out investment policy for it as an independent mineral resource and conduct administration on it. The reporter learned from the Ministry of Land and Resources recently that, the State Council approved shale gas to be a new independent mineral resource. So far, the family of China oil and gas resources has had a new member. Shale gas refers to the adsorptive and free unconventional natural gas that occur in rich organic substance borne shale and its inter-bedding. Primarily composed of methane, it is a kind of clean and high efficiency energy and chemical raw material. Shale gas is extensively used in domestic life, urban heat supply, power generation, auto fuel and chemical production. Normally no drainage is required during shale gas production. Its production circle is relatively long, about 30-50 years, but the yield rate is also high. Shale gas has high industrial and economic value. China has a great shale gas potential. It is roughly estimated the recoverable shale gas in China may amount to 31 trillion m3, which is equal to conventional natural gas. It was said that, in light of instructions by the State Council, the Ministry of Land and Resources would, according to the features of shale gas, prospecting and exploitation progress of China and overseas experiences, administer the shale gas as an independent mineral resource and formulate relevant support policies to promote its prospecting and exploitation and realize large-scale development as soon as possible. This would help lessen oil and gas resource shortage in China, improve natural gas supply capacity, change energy structure, increase supply of clean energy and form a new prospecting and exploitation pattern of oil and gas. In order to drive prospecting and exploitation of shale gas, up to now, the Ministry of Land and Resources has finished the first round of bid invitation and transfer of shale gas prospecting right. The Ministry of Land and Resources is keen to introduce various investors, realize transfer of prospecting right via competition, agree on prospecting period and input in contract and urge bid winners to perform contract by means of supervision. Besides, exit mechanism is established. The prospecting right owners shall exit the block partially or totally if they do not perform the prospecting and input obligations regulated in the contract. It is learned that, new prospecting and exploitation technologies and administration methods are required for shale gas, which is a new energy. Shale gas development is highly relied on technological progress. Conventional oil and gas development methods for shale gas are bound to result in high cost. Insiders predicted that, establishment of the independent mineral resource status for shale gas this time will drive investment in shale gas development and accelerate large-scale and industrialized development.

China`s coal supply, demand seen balanced in 2012: NDRC
Source：Platts  Date：Dec.16,2011

China`s coal supply and demand are expected to be in balanced in 2012, although sporadic shortages may occur, the country`s top policy maker, the National Development and Reform Commission, said in a notice Thursday. In mid-June this year, deputy director of China`s National Energy Administration, Wei Pengyuan, had also said coal supply and demand from the second half of 2011 onwards would be balanced. He had also expected a slight excess in supply, as around 100 million mt/year of new coal mining capacity was slated to come on stream by the end of 2011. Meanwhile in the Thursday notice, the NDRC reiterated its November 30 directive that up to 5% year on year rise will be allowed for contract coal prices in 2012, with a view to stabilizing the domestic coal market. NDRC has also earmarked railroad wagons, with a combined transportation capacity of 834.6 million mt, for cross-provincial coal transportation in 2012, down from 932 million mt in 2011 and 906.5 million mt in 2010. Medium and long-term coal supply contracts will be given priority while allocating the rail wagons.
 
Of the 834.6 million mt of railing capacity, 775.06 million mt will be for power coal in 2012, slightly up from 769 million mt in 2011; 28.74 million mt will be for coal used in the fertilizer sector, down from 34.84 million mt in 2011; and 30.80 million mt will be for household-use coal, down from 33.63 million mt in 2011.
As in 2011, NDRC has also directed that annual coal supply contracts between coal miners and coal consuming companies should be submitted on the official website of CCTDA

Jiangxi Copper, Freeport agree to 12.4 pct rise in 2012 TC/RCs
Source：Reuters   Date：Nov.21,2011

China`s top copper smelter Jiangxi Copper Co. and global miner Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc have agreed a 12.4 percent rise in term treatment and refining charges (TC/RC) for 2012 concentrate shipments, a Jiangxi Copper source said on Saturday. The 2012 TC/RCs have been set at $63.5 a tonne and 6.35 U.S. cents a pound, up from $56.5 and 5.65 cents for full year of 2011 for standard, clean concentrates. "That should be the benchmark for the Chinese smelters and Freeport in 2012," said the Jiangxi copper source with direct knowledge of the terms. He declined to be named because he is not authorised to speak to the press. He said Jiangxi Copper would continue to receive about 100,000 tonnes of term concentrates, the main raw material for the production of refined copper, from Freeport`s mines in 2012, flat from 2011. The firm had already received all term concentrates from Freeport this year. The price rise will be the second straight year the smelter has won higher TC/RCs from the global miner, despite the ongoing strike at Freeport`s Grasberg mine in Indonesia, which this week was extended into a third month to Dec. 15. TC/RCs are paid by Freeport to Jiangxi Copper for converting its concentrate into refined metal and deducted from concentrate sale prices based on London Metal Exchange copper prices . Higher charges, typically seen when supply rises or demand falls in the global market, cut concentrate import prices to the Chinese, the world`s top copper concentrate importer. The source said the rise was acceptable since TC/RCs for spot concentrates were low currently. Spot standard, clean concentrates to China changed hands at TC/RCs of near $40 and 4 cents versus $45-$55 and 4.5-5.5 cents in late September, traders said. Offers were below $30 and 3 cents from international trading firms, down from about $40 and 4 cents last month, after supply fell on strikes at mines in south America and the Grasberg mine in Indonesia in the second half of the year. Jiangxi Copper expects overall supply of copper concentrate in the global market to rise in 2012 and may see a surplus after 2013, as new capacity comes on the stream, the source said. Jiangxi Copper was the first Chinese smelter to agree to the 2012 TC/RCs rates with Freeport. Sources in China said copper smelters, including Jiangxi Copper, would meet global miner BHP Billiton Ltd in the coming weeks for the TC/RCs talks for 2012. In 2011, Chinese smelters for the first time set half-year TC/RCs for term concentrate deliveries with BHP, agreeing to charges set at $72 and 7.2 cents for the first half and $90 and 9 cents for the second half. The smelters face a shorter pricing period in 2012 because BHP may consider switching to quarterly TC/RCs, they said.

Tight rare earth supplies here to stay, Baotou says
Source：China Daily  Date：Sep.16,2011

A rare earth mine in Bayan Obo, Inner Mongolia autonomous region. China`s total rare earth export quota for this year is 30,184 tons, little changed from 30,258 tons last year. Wu Changqing / For China Daily World`s heavy reliance on China as leading source is not sustainable BEIJING - Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Holding Co, the nation`s biggest rare earths producer, said on Thursday that short supplies of these valuable minerals represent an "irreversible" trend, a comment that could spark market speculation of further price rises. China has no intention of remaining the world`s major supplier of rare earths and will gradually shift focus to domestic demand, Li Zhong, vice-president of the company was quoted by Xinhua News Agency as saying on Thursday at a conference in Beijing. The Inner Mongolia autonomous region-based company holds 1,719 metric tons of rare earth export quotas for 2011, making it one of the top exporters of the metals that are widely used in high-technology applications including iPhones and hybrid cars. The total export quota for this year is 30,184 tons, little changed from 30,258 tons last year. China, which supplies about 95 percent of the world`s total consumption, has been tightening production and exports since 2009 as it seeks to regulate the industry and crack down on illegal mining and exports. Top national officials in May announced higher taxes on rare earths and said that no new separation projects would be approved over the next five years. Industry experts said that the world`s heavy reliance on China for the metals since the 1990s could not be sustained, as high levels of mining activity had exacted an enormous environmental toll. "China should not be the world`s supply center for rare earths in the future. From the strategic point of view, it`s better to encourage the diversification of global supplies," said Chen Zhanheng, director of the academic department of the Chinese Society of Rare Earths. However, the country is under foreign pressure over tightening controls on the metals. European Union Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht was quoted by Reuters as saying this week that the EU wanted higher quotas of rare earths from China and would seek more clarity from Beijing during economic meetings scheduled for October and December. The World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled in July that China`s export quotas and duties on some raw materials, including rare earths, were illegal and went against the nation`s commitments when it joined the organization in 2001. The ruling came after the WTO received complaints from the US, EU and Mexico. Rare earth resources could be depleted very rapidly without quota restrictions, said Chen. Thus, it was fair for China to limit overseas sales initially, while it sought to get the industry on a healthy track, Chen added. "It will benefit the world`s economy in the long run." Exports will continue to be cut because reserves have been depleted after years of over-production, said Liu Minda, an analyst at Huatai Securities Co. China`s restrictions on production have triggered a price surge, with some rare earths soaring more than sixfold so far this year. Prices are expected to stay high for the rest of the year, said Li.

Ministry of Land and Resources holds a signing ceremony for winners of the first shale gas prospecting right assignment bidding project in Beijing
Source: Portal Website of Ministry of Land and Resources   Citation: Portal Website of Ministry of Land and Resources   Date: July 18, 2011

The first shale gas prospecting right assignment bidding pilot held by China was successfully completed. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation and Henan Provincial Coal Seam Gas Development and Utilization Co., Ltd won the bid. On July 18, the Ministry of Land and Resources held a signing ceremony for the winners of the shale gas prospecting right assignment bidding project, and respectively signed the Shale Gas Prospecting Right Assignment Contract with the winning enterprises, and presented them Shale Gas Exploration License. Vice Minister of Land and Resources and Director-General of China Geological Survey Wang Min attended the signing ceremony. Besides, Chief Engineer of Ministry of Land and Resources Zhang Hongtao made an important speech which recognized the shale gas prospecting right bidding work and put forward new requirements for further introducing competition and improving oil gas resource management in the future.

　According to related rules stipulated in laws and regulations as well as the tender documents, the Ministry of Land and Resources selected experts from the expert pool in a random manner by applying a computer-generated selection program to form a bid evaluation expert group under the principles of legality, equity and fairness. In line with the bid-evaluation method and criteria stipulated in the tender documents, the bid evaluation expert group carried out evaluation and marking on the eligible bid documents for Chongqing and Guizhou Nanchuan shale gas prospecting area and Chongqing and Guizhou Xiangxiu Mountain shale gas prospecting area and ranked them from high to low according to the total marks. Chongqing and Guizhou Nanchuan shale gas prospecting area for which China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation won the bid covers an area of 2,197.9 square kilometers. China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation promised to invest a total of RMB 590 million in the prospecting, which was eight times the amount stipulated by laws and regulations for investment in prospecting, and accomplish 11 parameter wells and preliminary prospecting wells during three years of prospecting. Chongqing and Guizhou Xiangxiu Mountain shale gas prospecting area for which Henan Provincial Coal Seam Gas Development and Utilization Co., Ltd won the bid covers an area of 2,038.87 square kilometers. The company promised to invest a total of RMB 240 million in the prospecting, which was four times the amount stipulated by laws and regulations for investment in prospecting, and accomplish 10 parameter wells and preliminary prospecting wells. The Ministry of Land and Resources adopted contract administration for the shale gas prospecting right assigned through the bidding, and signed the contract on shale gas prospecting right assignment with the winning enterprises to enhance supervision on shale gas prospecting activities of the enterprises. The shale gas prospecting right assignment bidding was an important milestone in China’s oil gas resource field, and also an innovative attempt to reform oil gas resource administration system. It is of great significance for the construction of a scientific, reasonable, open, just, efficient and incorrupt new mechanism on oil gas resource administration, facilitation of shale gas prospecting and exploitation, acceleration of China’s shale gas industrialization and scale development and improvement of China’s oil gas resource guarantee capability.

In recent years, the Ministry of Land and Resources has adopted several measures to actively push forward the shale gas prospecting and exploitation. On one hand, it intensified strategic survey on shale gas resources. In 2004, it began to carry out tracking study on China’s shale gas resources. In 2009, it implemented strategic survey on shale gas resources in the regions of Sichuan, Chongqing and Guizhou, and classified China’s shale gas resources into three major categories with 33 shale gas resource prospective areas. In 2010, it carried out early stage research and study on shale gas resources in Sichuan, Chongqing, Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui as well as part of North China, Northeast China and Northwest China, and basically learned about major target zones of shale gas occurrence as well as geological characteristics and distribution of shale gas and basic parameters for shale gas resource appraisal, preliminarily set up methods for shale gas resource appraisal, criteria for prospective area selection and techniques for survey and appraisal, and selected a group of shale gas resource prospective areas for further commercial prospecting by enterprises. In 2011, it zoned China’s shale gas resources into five major regions: upper reaches of the Yangtze River and Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi; middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Southeast China; North China and Northeast China; Northwest China; Qinghai and Tibet, to carry out a nation-wide survey and appraisal on shale gas resources. On the other hand, it encouraged and supported enterprises to explore prospecting and exploitation of shale gas. In 2009, it set up five shale gas prospecting rights to support petroleum enterprises in implementing prospecting and exploitation tests and encourage them to carry out re-survey and prospecting on old wells in the registered oil gas prospecting right areas. Enterprises like PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, Yanchang Petroleum and CUCBM were all taking positive actions. So far, there are 15 vertical shale gas wells which have gone through fracturing gas test with 9 of them producing gas, demonstrating the prospect of China’s shale gas exploitation. The Ministry of Land and Resources currently is organizing formulation of Twelfth Five-year Plan on Shale Gas Development jointly with National Energy Bureau to make a comprehensive plan on China’s shale gas prospecting and exploitation in accordance with requirements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council. Meanwhile, it will improve the system on shale gas resource management, define legal status of new types of shale gas, complete the system on shale gas prospecting right bidding assignment and gradually introduce more enterprises which are financially strong, qualified for prospecting, truthful and faithful to enter the field of shale gas prospecting and exploitation in order to facilitate rapid development of shale gas industrialization and enlarge its scale. (By Yu Hongqi)