A massive shale gas field with over 200 billion cubic meters of ultra-deep reserves has been confirmed in Ziyang City, southwest China's Sichuan Province, taking the country's exploration push into uncharted territory more than 4,500 meters underground.

China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) announced on Wednesday that its Ziyang Dongfeng shale gas field has secured official certification from the Ministry of Natural Resources. The field holds proven geological reserves of 235.687 billion cubic meters.