上流事業の強靭化・クリーン化とは？

—これからの Oil & Gas 探鉱・開発の目指す先—

抄録

Since the two oil crises in the 1970s, E&P companies have been engaged in exploration and development with the belief that discovering and commercializing large reserves is a real charm of exploration and increasing production and reserves has been considered a mission for oil companies. On the other hand, oil price fluctuations and climate change countermeasures in the last three years have been changing more rapidly than ever before, and the movement toward energy transformation（EX）and social demand for decarbonization are becoming irreversible. Under these circumstances, what should oil companies aim for in their E&P business? First, an extreme energy conversion is not realistic, and a sustainable supply of oil and natural gas based on the premise of a thorough low carbonization is necessary for the "transition period" until clean alternative fuels are ready. Natural gas, in particular, will continue to be an important energy source during the transition period as an alternative fuel to coal or as a raw material for blue hydrogen and ammonia. A realistic roadmap for EX is needed, which includes making the project more resilient by promoting near-field exploration, fast track development and reducing E&P costs. It will also include making the business cleaner by performing CCS, electrification of plants and converting coal to natural gas to reduce GHG emission.

Considering the gradual transition from oil & gas to low-carbon or cleaner energy in the future, it is important to develop new technologies that have affinity with the core technologies of oil companies, such as monitoring CO₂ injection layer by using higher resolution 3D/4D seismic data. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly important to have a sense of speed in exploration and development in order to avoid the projects from becoming stranded assets.