Southwest Oil and Gas Fields Unveils a “Comprehensive Set of Measures” for Science and Technology System Reform

China Petroleum News (Special Correspondent Peng Gang, Contributing Reporter Luo Shoubing) On June 2, this reporter learned that the Leading Group of the Science and Technology Committee of the Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company reviewed and approved in principle the reform plan for the layout and management mechanisms of “15th Five-Year Plan” science and technology projects. The plan clearly states that institutional innovation will serve as the breakthrough point, with scientific and technological innovation regarded as the “key variable” driving high-quality development, thereby injecting strong momentum into the construction of China’s largest modern natural gas industrial base.
Addressing prominent issues such as the “fragmentation” of past research projects and the disconnect between the commercialization of research outcomes and industrial needs, Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company has launched a “combination of measures” in this reform, featuring targeted streamlining, chief engineers taking the lead, and chain-based integration. The company has implemented a large-scale project management system structured as “science and technology initiatives—projects—research topics,” significantly reducing the number of annual project approvals. It has also introduced a full-lifecycle tracking mechanism combining an online science and technology management system with OKRs to concentrate superior resources on resolving “bottleneck” challenges.
In terms of research organization, the Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company has fully implemented a Chief Technical Officer (CTO) accountability system, established CTO studios, and built an efficient implementation pathway characterized by “guidance from the Science and Technology Committee’s leading group, leadership by the CTO, oversight by business departments, and coordination by the Science and Technology Committee’s office.” Relying on close collaboration among “Chief Technologists, business departments, and research institutes,” the company has promoted the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation with industrial innovation, ensuring that research efforts are truly aligned with industrial needs. This has transformed the traditional model of “achieving results first and then commercializing them,” enabling research breakthroughs and industrial implementation to yield results simultaneously.
Building on the deep historical legacy of being the “birthplace of the natural gas industry,” Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company has systematically organized, categorized, and dynamically maintained technical resources across the entire industrial chain—including natural gas, crude oil, and new energy utilization. The company is accelerating the development of a distinctive portfolio of process technologies covering upstream exploration and development, efficient purification and treatment, pipeline transportation and gas storage, through to end-user applications, thereby promoting comprehensive self-reliance in key theories and processes. At the same time, the company leverages its major project system to build core R&D teams and has established an incubation system for scientific and technical talent featuring a tiered structure of “industry experts—technical experts—young talents.” By regularly selecting outstanding innovation teams and optimizing resource allocation, the company further highlights its role as the primary driver of innovation.
In terms of cultivating research outcomes, Southwest Oil and Gas Field Company adheres to a forward-looking, integrated approach, with the Chief Technical Officer taking the lead in fostering major achievements. The objectives for cultivating outcomes are clearly defined for each scientific and technological project at the project initiation stage, and work plans are dynamically refined as research progresses, ensuring that scientific and technological research and the cultivation of high-quality outcomes are planned, organized, and implemented simultaneously.