The Xinli oil extraction plant sector III of Northeast China's Jilin oil field Photo: Screen shot of CNPC's pormotional material

The solar-thermal system at the Xinli oil extraction plant sector III of Northeast China's Jilin oil field under the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) has entered official operations, signaling the completion of Asia's largest onshore oil extraction platform zero-carbon demonstration zone, CNPC said in a statement on Tuesday.

The zone achieved another milestone in the construction of China's "green" oil field amid the nation's stronger push for reducing carbon emissions.

Ma Xiaohong, executive deputy manager of Jilin Oilfield's new energy division, said in the statement that the field has achieved 100 percent green electricity substitution in the sector through wind and solar power generation and energy storage. 

Additionally, a portion of natural gas heating has been replaced with clean alternatives such as geothermal, solar thermal and air-source heat, resulting in a reduction of about 600,000 cubic meters of natural gas consumption annually. 

Carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption have been offset through carbon dioxide injection for enhanced oil recovery and carbon sequestration, effectively neutralizing remaining emissions. Through these comprehensive measures, the section has indeed achieved genuine zero-carbon production.

According to CNPC, the zone is one of the largest of its kind in Asia, demonstrating major progress in achieving the country's goal of carbon emissions reduction.

The National Energy Administration on February 27 unveiled an action plan aiming to enhance the utility of new energy in oil and gas extraction sector during 2023 to 2025. 

The plan vowed to increase the new energy utility rate in oil and gas extraction sector. By 2025, the annual added volume of natural gas product extracted using clean energy should reach 4.5 billion cubic meters. 

The plan also encouraged oil and gas extraction enterprises to use more clean power sources including geothermal, solar and wind, and build gas and oil extraction fields with low and zero carbon emissions.

Global Times