Recently, significant progress has been made in shale gas exploration in western Hubei. Through coordinated deployment and collaborative efforts, the China Geological Survey under the Ministry of Natural Resources, in conjunction with the Hubei Provincial Geological Bureau and other units, has successfully achieved a breakthrough in industrial gas flow by focusing on the Permian shale formations in Enshi, western Hubei. In the Enshi area of Hubei, the horizontal well E-Enye 2HF conducted fracturing and gas testing in the Permian Dalong Formation, yielding a daily gas production of 50,600 cubic meters, thereby expanding the exploration horizons of the Dalong Formation. In the Hefeng area, the vertical well E-Heye 3 conducted fracturing and gas testing in the Permian Qixia Formation, achieving a daily gas production of 10,700 cubic meters. This breakthrough has opened up new horizons and types of unconventional gas, effectively extending shale gas exploration from the Sichuan Basin to western Hubei.

These findings further enrich and refine the theory of marine unconventional gas accumulation in complex structural areas, establishing a marl gas accumulation model characterized by "integrated source and reservoir, structural preservation controlling accumulation, and fractures and pores determining enrichment." This model holds significant scientific guidance value for exploration in similar regions.

Additionally, to address the challenge of fracturing fluid flowback in normal-pressure shale gas operations, the project team innovatively developed a gas testing and flowback process combining "electric submersible pump + gas lift + foam drainage composite string drainage and intelligent monitoring." This process was successfully implemented in the E-Enye 2HF well, achieving efficient flowback and providing key technical support for the economical and effective development of normal-pressure shale gas.

Currently, the project has identified one favorable area for shale gas in the Permian Dalong Formation and one favorable area for marl gas in the Qixia Formation. It has also proposed one shale gas exploration block in eastern Enshi, adding 132.95 billion cubic meters of shale gas geological resources. This further solidifies the resource foundation for the shale gas resource succession base in western Hubei.

The accumulation theory and efficient flowback technology developed from these achievements will play a crucial guiding role in shale gas exploration deployment in complex structural areas, demonstrating significant theoretical value and engineering practical significance.