Objective Natural gas plays a crucial role as a clean fossil fuel in supporting national economic and social development, significantly contributing to national energy security and energy transition. Since the introduction of the national energy security strategy “Four Revolutions, One Cooperation”, China’s natural gas industry has advanced considerably. However, imbalances and inadequacies in the industry and supply chains remain evident, and the natural gas production, supply, storage, and sales system is not yet fully developed.

Methods During the critical phase of formulating the “15th Five-Year Plan”, amid a complex and evolving internal and external environment, a systematically integrated, collaborative, and efficient approach was adopted to address the uncertainties hindering the high-quality development of the natural gas industry. In-depth research was conducted on key relationships—such as those between government and market, supply and demand, domestic and international factors, macro and micro perspectives, normal and abnormal conditions, subjective and objective aspects, fostering new growth drivers and upgrading old ones, optimizing new growth and revitalizing existing resources, enhancing quality and increasing total volume, top-level design and adapting measures to local conditions, and economic development and social responsibilities—across five dimensions: strategy, quality, reform, people’s livelihood, and technology. This process identified shortcomings throughout the natural gas industry chain, rigorously analyzed root causes, and comprehensively addressed major issues in the construction and operation of the production, supply, storage, and sales system.

Results Recommendations for the development of the natural gas production, supply, storage, and sales system under new circumstances were proposed from five key aspects: ensuring natural gas supply, analyzing energy structure trends, reforming the pipeline network operation mechanism, exploring industrial development boundaries, and building a modern marketing system. It is essential to establish a coordinated and competitive supply guarantee capacity for mutually beneficial outcomes. Energy consumption forecasts should account for various uncertainties. In reforming the pipeline operation mechanism, interests along the supply chain should be equitably distributed. The construction of the natural gas supply chain should prioritize coordinated development between supply and demand while innovating the marketing system for gas sales.

Conclusion The natural gas production, supply, storage, and sales system is a complex, open system with a great number of uncertainties. During the “15th Five-Year Plan”, the resilience and security of the natural gas industry chain and supply chain should be continuously enhanced to meet the country’s evolving high-quality development goals for the natural gas industry.