Reforming progress,problems,and countermeasures of exploration right regime of oil&gas resources in China
In order to promote oil and gas exploration and development,increase reserves and production,and ensure national energy security,China has launched the new reform program of the oil and gas resource exploration right regime to advance a nationwide oil exploration and development program aimed at increasing oil and gas production.Unprecedented reforms including stricter relinquishment obligations of exploring right acreage and more competitive transfers of exploration rights got some success.However,such problems in relinquishing exploration acreage polices as excessive refund efforts and high refund ratios,the implementation of a"one size fits all"approach not conducive to encouraging investment in exploration,the lack of a compensation mechanism for refunded mining rights,and weak supervision of the refund of relinquishment obligations of exploring rights.Furthermore,problems with the competitive granting of exploration rights include imperfect competition mechanism,single granting method,insufficient granting effort,low frequency of granting and weak regularity,and insufficient supporting services and support conditions.In order to further stimulate the vitality of the upstream oil and gas market,it is recommended to speed up the construction of laws and regulations adapted to the needs of increasing oil and gas exploration&development and increasing reserves and production,improve the mechanism for relinquishment policies of oil&gas mining rights,and issue special management methods,improve the mechanism for granting blocks of exploring rights,introduce the corresponding management methods,and strengthen and improve the supportive policies and services of relinquishment and granting oil&gas exploring rights.