Shanxi province's unconventional natural gas output reached a record high in the first eight months of 2026, with the province targeting 30 billion cubic meters by the end of the 15th "Five-Year Plan" period.

The northern province produced 1.68 billion cubic meters of unconventional gas in August 2026, up 7.7% year on year, according to data from the Shanxi Provincial Bureau of Statistics. Cumulative output for January-August reached 13.32 billion cubic meters, the highest on record for the period.

Unconventional natural gas refers to gas that differs significantly from conventional reservoirs in its subsurface occurrence and accumulation patterns, including shale gas and tight sandstone gas.

As a major comprehensive energy base in China, Shanxi holds abundant unconventional gas resources, with total predicted resources of about 20 trillion cubic meters, accounting for roughly 8% of the national total.

In recent years, Shanxi has focused on unconventional gas as a key breakthrough, concentrating efforts on development challenges and advancing block construction and technological innovation to accelerate reserve growth and production increases.

Zhang Xiang, director of the Shanxi Provincial Energy Bureau, said that during the 14th "Five-Year Plan" period, the province built six large gas fields with capacities of 1 billion cubic meters each, established China's largest shallow-to-mid-depth coalbed methane field and largest deep coalbed methane field, and developed its first large integrated tight gas field, steadily strengthening its industrial base.

This year marks the start of the 15th "Five-Year Plan" period. To translate its unconventional gas resource advantage into an industrial advantage, Shanxi will work to stabilize shallow coalbed methane output, increase deep coalbed methane production and control declines in tight gas, tailoring measures by zone to boost volumes. The province aims to raise unconventional gas output to 30 billion cubic meters by the end of the 15th "Five-Year Plan" period.