US institutional pathways to clean coal and shale gas: lessons for China

China's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011–2015) envisages that shale gas and coal will be central to its energy future. However, for China to meet the energy security and climate change objectives set out in its 12th Five-Year Plan it will be reliant on the widespread commercial deployment of two key technologies; hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling for shale gas, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) for coal. China is moving to acquire these technologies through technology transfer and diffusion from the US, but progress has been slow, and neither is currently available in China on a commercial scale. Drawing on interviews in the US and China, this article argues that China's expectation of technology from the US may well be disappointed because of factors unique to the US institutional environment that have made the development of fracking technology possible and hinder the development of CCS technology at a commercial scale.

Policy relevance

If China is to meet the energy security and climate change objectives set out in its 12th Five-Year Plan it will be reliant on the widespread commercial deployment of fracking and clean coal technologies. While China expects to acquire these technologies via technology transfer and diffusion from the US, progress has been slow. Because of factors unique to the US institutional environment the availability of both technologies on a commercial scale in China is unlikely in the coming years. As a result, Chinese policy makers would be well-advised not to count on these technologies to meet their energy and climate goals.     

Optimization techniques for integrating spatial data

Two optimization techniques ta predict a spatial variable from any number of related spatial variables are presented. The applicability of the two different methods for petroleum-resource assessment is tested in a mature oil province of the Midcontinent (USA). The information on petroleum productivity, usually not directly accessible, is related indirectly to geological, geophysical, petrographical, and other observable data. This paper presents two approaches based on construction of a multivariate spatial model from the available data to determine a relationship for prediction. In the first approach, the variables are combined into a spatial model by an algebraic map-comparison/integration technique. Optimal weights for the map comparison function are determined by the Nelder-Mead downhill simplex algorithm in multidimensions. Geologic knowledge is necessary to provide a first guess of weights to start the automatization, because the solution is not unique. In the second approach, active set optimization for linear prediction of the target under positivity constraints is applied. Here, the procedure seems to select one variable from each data type (structure, isopachous, and petrophysical) eliminating data redundancy. Automating the determination of optimum combinations of different variables by applying optimization techniques is a valuable extension of the algebraic map-comparison/integration approach to analyzing spatial data. Because of the capability of handling multivariate data sets and partial retention of geographical information, the approaches can be useful in mineral-resource exploration.     

鲁北临盘地热资源特征及开发利用

鲁北临盘地热资源丰富 ,热储层为新近纪黄骅群馆陶组 ,热储盖层为新近纪黄骅群明化镇组和第四纪平原组 ,热源主要来自地壳深部正常热流传导。目前已钻凿 2口地热井 ,开发利用效益显著。地热开发要避开油气层 ,石油开发要防止污染地热储水层。     

Dense Gas Diagnostics: Maser Excitation and Variability

I review a number of diagnostic techniques, based upon the excitation and variability of astrophysical masers, which can be applied to dense gas. In each case, I consider the observations necessary and the amount of interpretation, or modelling, required to complete the analysis of a source, presenting examples of each diagnostic method.     

地勘单位推行ISO质量管理体系的探讨

近年来,山东省煤田地质局在推行ISO质量管理体系中,取得了一定成效,但也存在体系运行与现状不同步及执行体系程序标准不严格等问题。根据问题产生的原因,要保证质量管理体系发挥应有的作用,领导层要进一步提高认识,注重抓基层、抓基础、抓基本的“三基”工作,加大内审的频率和力度,建设高水平的内审员队伍和加强对职工的培训。     

Structural Control of Sand Bodies and Deep Exploration for Oil and Gas

The structural styles can be used to analyses and predict developments and distributions of sand bodies in a rift basin. The dynamic process of faulting and sedimentation can be expressed as follow: the basin topography controlled by fault activity can control water dynamics; which in turn affect the transport and sedimentation of sediments. The corresponding analysis between structural styles and sand depositional types includes the following aspects: (1) in section, the corresponding between development of fault terraces and sand depositional types; (2) in plane, the relationship between faults' association and distributions of sand bodies. There are four types of terrace styles to be identified. They are Steep Slope Single Fault Terrace (SSSFT), Steep Slope Multiple Fault Terrace (SSMFT), Gentle Slope (GS) and Gentle Slope Multiple Fault Terrace (GSMFT), which also can be divided into six subtypes by the timing of the faults activities and the directions of their activity migrations (basinward and landward or marginward). They correspond to the following sand depositions such as alluvial fan, fan delta and turbidite fan etc.. The analysis of structure-sedimentation is a discussion on the rank Ⅲ sequence evolution under the condition of pulsing or episodic fault activities. It has been recognized four plane fault associations such as the comb, the broom, the fork and the fault-fold association as well as the corresponding sand distributions. Structural-sedimentary models above mentioned are significant for the deep oil and gas exploration when lacking of the drill data. It may reduce multiple resolutions in the interpretation of seismic-sedimentary facies and promote sand predictions through the constraints of the structural styles of the basin units. The structural-sedimentary pattern can be used as a geological model in oil and gas exploration in the rift basins.     

ANALYSIS OF SURFACE SINK OF EXPLORATION VACANCY IN GOLD MINING AREA OF ZHAOYUAN CTIY BASED ON RS AND GIS

1 IN T R O D U C T IO NZhaoyuan C ity, located in northeast of ShandongProvince,iscalled "G old C ity"and itisone ofim portantgold production bases in C hina.The exploitation ofthegold broughtoutthe extensive vacantareas,leading tolarge-scale ground subsi…     

黄河三角洲地区地热资源及其开发利用前景初析

黄河三角洲地区蕴含着丰富的中低温地热,为2000m以浅经济型地热资源,经计算,全区地热资源总量折合标准煤相当于125×10~8t,其中仅地下热水总储存量就达到4570×10~8 m~3,可开采储量超过750×10~8 m~3,至少可以开采100a。如果形成以东营、河口、孤岛、广饶为中心的4个大面积系统的开发利用体系,并注重地热资源的综合利用和梯级利用,对于缓解能源紧张、促进经济的可持续发展等方面具有重要的意义。     

三维地震勘探在构造复杂区的应用

三维地震勘探通过炮点与检波点的灵活组合,适合于复杂地表条件下地震勘探,从原理上也更加符合地质体的三维空间特性,有利于构造复杂的研究与探测.本文介绍的查庄煤矿就是利用三维地震勘探方法成功解决复杂构造问题的典型实例之一.     

Facies-controlled volcanic reservoirs of northern Songliao Basin, NE China

Volcanic rocks of the late Mesozoic are very important reservoirs for the commercial natural gases including hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide and rare gases in the northern Songliao Basin. The reservoir volcanic rocks include rhyolite, andesite, trachyte, basalt and tuff. Facies of the volcanic rocks can be classified into 5 categories and 15 special types. Porosity and permeability of the volcanic reservoirs are facies-controlled. Commercial reservoirs were commonly found among the following volcanic subfacies: volcanic neck (I1) , underground-explosive breccia (I3), pyroclastic-bearing lava flow (II3), upper effusive (III3) and inner extrusive ones (IV1). The best volcanic reservoirs are generally evolved in the interbedded explosive and effusive volcanics. Rhyolites show in general better reservoir features than other types of rocks do.