Exploration and Development of Natural Gas in the Sichuan Basin based on Geological Resource Endowment: Technological Innovation and Evolution of Engineering Systems

ABSTRACT The Sichuan Basin, characterised by stable cratonic structures, thick sedimentary sequences, and multiple high-quality source rock systems, possesses one of China’s richest natural gas endowments, with total resources estimated at ~ 40 trillion m3. This geological foundation has shaped the basin’s strategic role in China’s natural gas industry and provided essential conditions for long-term exploration and development. Building on this resource background, this study constructs an integrated framework encompassing historical development, organisational evolution, and technological innovation to review the trajectory of natural gas exploration and development in the Sichuan Basin since the founding of China. Four stages are identified: early exploration, steady growth in reserves and output, rapid expansion, and the simultaneous development of conventional and unconventional resources. These processes have shaped national strategic gas zones. Organisational models have evolved from government-led to enterprise-driven structures, and from single to multi-stakeholder systems, reflecting a stronger market orientation. Technological progress has shifted from incremental improvements to integrated solutions, while resource focus has moved from shallow conventional to deep and ultra-deep unconventional reservoirs. New challenges— geological complexity, technical limits, higher costs, and environmental pressures—require renewed organisational and technological innovation, including intelligent drilling, greener fracturing, and digital management, to support the optimisation of China’s energy structure and its dual-carbon goals.