A long history of natural gas exploration

From the time it was buried deep underground to its discovery, it traveled through time and space for thousands of years. Once in the most silent place on the planet, it now brings to the world, is light and heat, is warm and cool wind.

From the distant ancient civilization, has been through the present, and the wheel of historical development, is slowly unveiled its veil.

△ Lifting the veil

Natural gas seeping from the surface was first discovered in Iran around 2000 BC. It was discovered that it could be used for lighting, so the ancient Persians made a "torch that never goes out."

The history of natural gas utilization in China dates back to the Warring States Period, when Li Bing and his son were building water conservancy projects in Sichuan, they found natural gas in salt Wells, then called "fire Wells". Since 200 AD, salt was cooked with gas in qiong lai.

During the reign of Renzong in the Northern Song Dynasty, China had a great innovation in drilling technology, which promoted the development and utilization of natural gas. The natural gas industry is beginning to separate from the salt industry.

In the 16th century, natural gas in Sichuan Natural Well Yantian was developed and utilized, becoming the first gas field to be developed in the world.

△ Processing and utilization

In 1609, the Belgian Van Helmont discovered that a kind of steam was produced by heating wood or coal, and named it "Gas". Over the next 100 years, Europeans began to find ways to extract methane from coal, oil, and other emissions.

In 1732, Englishman Kalisher Spading used methane from coal mines to light the streets of Whitehaven, but the initiative was opposed by conservative city council members.

With the in-depth understanding of the characteristics of natural gas, at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, commercial behaviors such as the use of natural gas lighting successively appeared in Britain and the United States. In 1821, the first natural gas company appeared in the United States.

The continuous discovery of large gas fields makes natural gas enter the stage of industrial exploitation and use. Natural gas was only used locally throughout the 19th century because there was no suitable way to transport large amounts of gas over long distances.

△ Comprehensive development

It was not until 1890 that a major breakthrough in gas transmission technology occurred with the invention of leak-proof pipeline connection technology.

Thanks to the further development of pipeline technology, the long-distance transmission of natural gas became possible in the 1820s.

Between 1927 and 1931, more than a dozen large gas transmission systems were built in the United States. Due to the need for economic revitalization after World War II, natural gas became an important resource and ushered in large-scale development.

In the early 1990s, the United States took the lead in natural gas futures trading, and the natural gas industry system was more perfect.

▽ Domestic Development

After the founding of New China, China's natural gas industry began to develop gradually. Starting from the geological exploration in Sichuan, it extends to Shaanganning, Tarim Basin and coastal areas, and carries out large-scale natural gas exploration activities.

With the construction of long-distance transportation pipelines, the completion of submarine pipelines, and the start of natural gas vehicles, all natural gas activities have been launched.

△ Ganghua Gas

In 1994, China Gas launched a gas investment project in the mainland. In order to cooperate with the national natural gas clean energy policy, starting from the East China Yangtze River Delta, urban pipeline gas has been comprehensively promoted, and has gradually expanded to central China, Southwest and Northeast China.

In 2002, China Gas established Hong Kong China Investment Company Limited in Shenzhen to manage investment projects in the mainland.

So far, the company has developed more than 131 urban gas projects in the mainland, with operations in 23 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions, and has become one of the largest urban gas groups in the mainland.

With the continuous expansion of diversified business and increasing investment projects, Ganghua Gas is gradually developing from a single business gas company into a very large-scale national multi-industry enterprise dominated by environmental protection and energy industries.