Basic Profile
JIA Chengzao is a petroleum geologist and structural geologist. Born in Lanzhou, Gansu Province in 1948, his ancestral place of origin is Yuxian, Hebei Province. He graduated from the Department of Geology, Xinjiang Institute of Technology in 1975 and earned his PhD in structural geology and geophysics from Nanjing University in 1987. He previously held posts including chief geologist, deputy director, and deputy general manager of Tarim Oilfield Company. He now serves as chief geologist of PetroChina Company Limited and concurrently president of the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development.
He has long engaged in geological research and petroleum exploration of the Tarim Basin, making significant contributions to domestically oriented theories of petroleum geology, basin tectonics, and oil-gas exploration practices. He laid the theoretical foundation for structural geology and oil-gas exploration in the Tarim Basin, and developed geological theories governing the formation of ultra-high pressure giant coal-derived gas fields in foreland thrust belts as well as the petroleum geological theory of superimposed composite basins. His outstanding work underpinned the discovery of the giant Kela-2 gas field and the West-to-East Gas Transmission Project.
He was elected a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003.
Awards & Honors
1. Model Worker of Special Grade and Distinguished Scientist in Onshore Petroleum Industry, awarded by China National Petroleum Corporation in 1995
2. Silver Medal of the “Iron Man” Science & Technology Achievement Award, China National Petroleum Corporation in 1999
3. Winner of the 9th Sun Yueqi Energy Grand Prize in 2000
4. Recipient of the Norman H. Foster Outstanding Explorer Award in 2019
Research Projects
He presided over numerous large-scale research projects, including the Petroleum and Natural Gas Exploration in the Tarim Basin of the national Ninth Five-Year Key Science and Technology Project. He has made a series of major achievements in petroleum geology and basin tectonic evolution, winning awards including one second-class and one third-class National Award for Progress in Science and Technology, two first-class and one special-class Provincial/Ministerial Awards for Progress in Science and Technology.
The Norman H. Foster Outstanding Explorer Award, established by the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), recognizes AAPG members for exceptional accomplishments in petroleum, natural gas or mineral resource exploration with a consistent track record of exploration successes.
His full award tally covers 2 first-class and 3 second-class National Awards for Progress in Science and Technology, alongside multiple national honorary titles.
Professional Appointments
1. Member of the 11th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference from March, 2008 to March, 2013
2. Chairman (7th Council) of the Chinese Petroleum Society from May, 2008 to December, 2011
3. Director of the State Key Laboratory of Petroleum Resources and Engineering, China University of Petroleum (Beijing)
4. PhD supervisor of China University of Petroleum and Northeast Petroleum University
5. Adjunct professor of Peking University and director of Academic Committee of Center for Petroleum and Natural Gas Research, Peking University
6. Former vice president & chief geologist of PetroChina Company Limited
7. Deputy director of Petroleum Geology Committee of Chinese Petroleum Society
8. Member of Mineral Exploration Committee of Geological Society of China
9. Editorial board member of Acta Petrolei Sinica and Natural Gas Industry; editor-in-chief of China Petroleum Exploration
Academic Career
Born in Lanzhou, Gansu Province in 1948, his ancestral place of origin is Yuxian, Hebei Province. He graduated from the Department of Geology, Xinjiang Institute of Technology in 1975 and earned his PhD in structural geology and geophysics from Nanjing University in 1987. In 1994, he took successive posts as deputy chief geologist, chief geologist and deputy director of Tarim Petroleum Exploration and Development Headquarters. From 1998, he concurrently served as vice president of the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development. In 1999, he was appointed deputy general manager of PetroChina Tarim Oilfield Company while retaining the concurrent position of vice president of the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development. In July 2000, he was appointed chief geologist of China National Petroleum Corporation. On December 16, 2002, he additionally assumed the role of president of the Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration & Development. He was elected a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2003. In October 2010, he took office as dean of the School of Energy Science at Nanjing University. From May 19 to 22, 2019, the annual conference of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) was held in San Antonio, Texas, USA. At the event, he, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, was presented with the prestigious Norman H. Foster Outstanding Explorer Award, making him the first exploration expert across the Asia-Pacific region to receive this honor.
