As of December 28, 2025, the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) injection of Xinjiang Oilfield exceeded one million metric tons, making it the first oilfield in China to achieve an annual carbon storage of one million tons. It marks a significant step for Xinjiang Oilfield in the large-scale application of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies, providing important technical support and practical paths for China to achieve its carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals.
The Junggar Basin in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is an important energy base in China. Assessments indicate that Xinjiang Oilfield, suitable for CO2-enhanced oil recovery, and saline aquifers in the production area, capable of storing carbon, have significant carbon storage potential. Meanwhile, high-energy-consumption and high-emission heavy industries are concentrated in the economic belt surrounding the oilfields, which offers favorable conditions for developing a massive CCUS industrial cluster.
Developing CCUS industries greatly improves crude oil recovery efficiency, which is significant for safeguarding the national energy security. Xinjiang Oilfield has overcome several technical bottlenecks such as reservoir geological adaption, and has gradually developed the “Junggar mode” featuring stable carbon source supply, efficient displacement and safe storage.
Xinjiang Oilfield has established a CCUS engineering project team and launched scientific research projects at national, autonomous region and listed company levels, focusing on tackling the technical mechanisms and implementation processes of the “carbon-consuming and oil-producing” technology. Meanwhile, it has cultivated a diversified carbon source market, built a basin-wide carbon injection pattern, and promoted the quality and upgrading of CCUS business. To date, the cumulative carbon dioxide injection volume has exceeded two million metric tons.
Xinjiang Oilfield has formulated a development target of 10-million-ton-level CCUS/CCS (carbon capture and storage) for the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), which will accelerate projects integrating new energy, coal power and CCUS. Xinjiang Oilfield will further speed up the construction of key projects covering the entire industrial chain, and provide solutions for the green and low-carbon transformation of China’s energy industry.
(Executive editor: Yuan Ting)
