中石化因頁岩氣開發不力受罰

Chinese authorities have fined shale gas developers including state-owned oil company Sinopec for failing to meet their investment commitments.

中國當局處罰了包括國有石油企業中石化(Sinopec)在內的幾家頁岩氣開發商，原因是它們未能履行投資承諾。

Officials in Beijing are eager to replicate the North American shale boom, in the face of reluctance from oil companies.

中國官員急於複製北美的頁岩氣繁榮——儘管石油企業不情願。

Shale gas development has moved slowly in China because of difficult geography and a legal system that reserves most oil, gas and pipeline infrastructure for a handful of state-owned companies.

中國的頁岩氣開發迄今進展緩慢，一方面因爲地質條件複雜，另一方面因爲法律體系使得大多數石油、天然氣和管道設施只能爲少數幾家國有企業所用。

Sinopec and PetroChina, the two dominant oil groups, have pledged to meet the government’s shale goals with flagship projects in the southwest. Sinopec says its project in Fuling, near the inland port city of Chongqing, is China’s most promising shale development.

兩大主要油企——中石化和中石油(PetroChina)——承諾要通過西南地區的旗艦項目達到政府的頁岩氣開發目標。中石化表示，它在內陸口岸城市重慶市涪陵區的項目是中國前景最好的頁岩氣開發項目。

Royal Dutch Shell has shown signs of cooling on its joint venture with PetroChina in Sichuan province.

有跡象顯示，荷蘭皇家殼牌(Royal Dutch Shell)對與中石油在四川的合資項目熱情減退。

Other developments have flagged. An initiative two years ago to open tracts to other companies has failed to bear fruit, amid concerns that groups would not make a profit from any gas found.

其他開發項目似乎都一籌莫展。兩年前提出的向其他企業開放區塊的建議無果而終，人們擔心企業可能無法從勘探到的天然氣獲利。

The Ministry of Land and Resources said this week it would fine Sinopec for failing to spend about a quarter of its Rmb591m ($97m) contracted investment on the Nanchuan shale block. It will fine Henan Coal Seam Gas Development and Utilization for spending only half its commitment on the Xiushan prospect. Both blocks straddle the lawless border region where Chongqing, Guizhou and Hunan provinces meet.

國土資源部本週表示，將對中石化處以罰款，因爲後者在合同中承諾要對南川頁岩氣區塊投資的5.91億元人民幣（合9700萬美元）有約四分之一沒有到位。國土資源部還將對河南省煤層氣開發利用有限公司(Henan Coal Seam Gas Development and Utilization)處以罰款，因爲該公司承諾投資於秀山區塊的資金只兌現了一半。兩個區塊都位於法律監管薄弱的渝黔湘交界地帶。

Sinopec said yesterday it had relinquished a portion of the block after conducting seismic surveys and drilling the deepest horizontal well in China. The ministry has already fined it Rmb7.97m. Henan CBM was fined Rmb6.03m.

中石化昨日表示，經過地震勘察、並打下中國最深水平井之後，該公司已上報覈減無效區塊。國土資源部已對其處以797萬元人民幣的罰款。河南省煤層氣開發利用有限公司被罰603萬元人民幣。

The project that state-owned Petro­China is developing with Shell has been slower than expected.

國有的中石油正在與殼牌合作開發的項目進展比預期緩慢。

Simon Henry, Shell chief financial officer, said in September the company might trim its venture because of geological challenges and difficulty accessing water in an area dense with farming villages.

殼牌首席財務官西蒙•亨利(Simon Henry) 9月表示，該公司或許會縮減四川合資項目規模，因爲項目所處地區地質條件複雜，而且遍佈農耕村落，獲取水源不易。