PetroChina has officially begun production at Dukouhe-Qilibei, the final major sour gas field within the high-sulphur Chuandongbei cluster in southwest China, bringing a definitive close to Chevron’s legacy involvement in the project.
The field, now fully operational, contains hydrogen sulphide (H₂S) concentrations of up to 17.06% — the highest level of any active integrated gas field in China — underscoring both the technical challenges and strategic significance of the development.
PetroChina confirmed that commissioning was completed on 30 June, with the Dazhou gas processing plant now running at its full design capacity of 4 million cubic metres per day.
The Chuandongbei cluster originally comprised three key sour gas blocks — Luojiazhai, Tieshanpo, and Dukouhe-Qilibei — and was initially developed under a partnership between Chevron and PetroChina, with Chevron leading the early-phase project development. However, Chevron exited the project in 2020, transferring full control to PetroChina following operational delays and cost challenges.
The completion of Dukouhe-Qilibei solidifies PetroChina’s capabilities in handling high-H₂S content gas fields and marks a significant boost to China’s domestic gas supply, particularly in inland regions with growing industrial demand.
