“Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient China’s Ingenious Gas Drilling: A Hidden History of Energy Innovation”

“A hundred shiploads might be taken from it at one time…this oil is not good to use with food, but it is good to burn and is also used to anoint camels that have the mange. People come from vast distances to fetch it, for in all the countries around it they have no other oil.”

However, none of these operations came close to matching the sheer scale and sophistication of the Sichuan gas fields. Today, the region around Zigong is still a major producer of both salt and gas, producing around 30 billion cubic metres of the latter every year – much of it extracted from wells originally opened hundreds of years ago. Yet despite advancements in technology, the work remains as dangerous as ever. On December 23, 2003, a blowout at a gas well near Chongqing [“Chong-ching”] killed 233 people, poisoned 9,000, and contaminated more than 25 kilometres of surrounding countryside, with the majority of casualties stemming from hydrogen sulfide inhalation. That the disaster was not even worse is largely due to the locals’ nearly 2,000 years of experience with the land and its volatile natural resources. The legacy of these pioneering workers is preserved and celebrated in the Shanxi Salt Museum, housed in a former guild hall built by mid-18^th century salt merchants. Displaying original artefacts as well as detailed models of historic salt and gas-extraction technology, the museum serves as a fitting tribute to a sophisticated industrial operation two millennia ahead of its time.

Expand for References