In recent years, Shanxi has intensified efforts in block development, technological innovation, and pipeline network layout to accelerate the expansion and production of unconventional natural gas, injecting new momentum into the province's high-quality economic growth.

Block development is crucial for the large-scale exploitation and stable production of unconventional natural gas. After years of dedicated work, Shanxi has established six large-scale gas fields, each with a capacity of 1 billion cubic meters, creating a well-organized and stable production framework.

Focusing on technological innovation, Shanxi has built a three-tiered innovation platform that integrates national, provincial, and enterprise-level efforts. This has fostered a collaborative innovation ecosystem characterized by "national leadership, provincial support, and enterprise-driven breakthroughs", leading to significant advancements in unconventional natural gas development technologies.

The province is also prioritizing the construction of its natural gas pipeline network, accelerating the interconnection of pipelines. After years of development, Shanxi's long-distance gas pipeline network now spans 9,477 kilometers, covering 111 cities, counties and districts. This network ensures comprehensive coverage of major economic zones, industrial parks, and key towns within the province.

Shanxi aims to rapidly increase reserves and production of unconventional natural gas in the short term, targeting an annual output of over 20 billion cu m by the end of the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25). In the long run, the province plans to double its production and value, reaching an annual output of 30 billion cu m by 2030, and is committed to building a 100-billion-yuan ($14.06 billion) industry cluster for unconventional natural gas.