RE: YIn'e Basin block v1128 May 2026 14:20
Sinopec buying blocks in YIn'e Basin
China's Sinopec has secured exploration rights for nine hydrocarbon and coalbed methane (CBM) blocks, covering approximately 2,336 square kilometres in Inner Mongolia and Henan provinces. This acquisition is a significant step towards the company's broader goal of bidding for up to 478,000 square kilometres of unlicensed oil and gas acreage in the country.
Block Details and Strategic Impact
Sinopec Zhongyuan Oilfield Company secured the rights with a total bid of 58.87 million yuan (about US$8.47 million). The awards comprise five oil and gas blocks in Inner Mongolia and four CBM blocks in Henan. Securing these blocks at the start of China's 15th Five-Year Plan provides a strategic development advantage, accelerating Sinopec's drive to become a top-tier oil and gas company targeting annual production of around 10 million tonnes of oil equivalent. The new blocks increase Sinopec Zhongyuan Oilfield's total exploration acreage by 14.3%.
Geographical Breakdown
The five Inner Mongolia blocks, covering 1,381 square kilometres, are located in two basins:
In the Yin’e basin: Alxa Right Banner South and Manghanchaoke blocks.
In the Erlian basin: Zhenglan Banner, Xilinhot and Naomugen Sag West blocks.
A sixth block offered in October was awarded to a different company, Inner Mongolia Geology & Mineral Resources Group Company Ltd.
The four CBM blocks in Henan, covering about 956 square kilometres in Puyang city, are:
Fan County East-Taiqian West
Nanle East-Qingfeng East
Nanle West-Qingfeng West
Taiqian East
These awards significantly support the parent company's "gas-for-oil" strategy by leveraging unconventional reserves to broaden development prospects in the mature Dongpu production area.