中石化因页岩气开发不力受罚
Chinese authorities have fined shale gas developers including state-owned oil company Sinopec for failing to meet their investment commitments.
中国当局处罚了包括国有石油企业中石化(Sinopec)在内的几家页岩气开发商，原因是它们未能履行投资承诺。Officials in Beijing are eager to replicate the North American shale boom, in the face of reluctance from oil companies.
中国官员急于复制北美的页岩气繁荣——尽管石油企业不情愿。
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.
中国的页岩气开发迄今进展缓慢，一方面因为地质条件复杂，另一方面因为法律体系使得大多数石油、天然气和管道设施只能为少数几家国有企业所用。
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.
两大主要油企——中石化和中石油(PetroChina)——承诺要通过西南地区的旗舰项目达到政府的页岩气开发目标。中石化表示，它在内陆口岸城市重庆市涪陵区的项目是中国前景最好的页岩气开发项目。Royal Dutch Shell has shown signs of cooling on its joint venture with PetroChina in Sichuan province.
有迹象显示，荷兰皇家壳牌(Royal Dutch Shell)对与中石油在四川的合资项目热情减退。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.
其他开发项目似乎都一筹莫展。两年前提出的向其他企业开放区块的建议无果而终，人们担心企业可能无法从勘探到的天然气获利。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.
国土资源部本周表示，将对中石化处以罚款，因为后者在合同中承诺要对南川页岩气区块投资的5.91亿元人民币（合9700万美元）有约四分之一没有到位。国土资源部还将对河南省煤层气开发利用有限公司(Henan Coal Seam Gas Development and Utilization)处以罚款，因为该公司承诺投资于秀山区块的资金只兑现了一半。两个区块都位于法律监管薄弱的渝黔湘交界地带。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，经过地震勘察、并打下中国最深水平井之后，该公司已上报核减无效区块。国土资源部已对其处以797万元人民币的罚款。河南省煤层气开发利用有限公司被罚603万元人民币。The project that state-owned PetroChina is developing with Shell has been slower than expected.
国有的中石油正在与壳牌合作开发的项目进展比预期缓慢。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.
壳牌首席财务官西蒙•亨利(Simon Henry) 9月表示，该公司或许会缩减四川合资项目规模，因为项目所处地区地质条件复杂，而且遍布农耕村落，获取水源不易。
