China's shale gas output soared rapidly over past three years

Workers are working on the exploration of shale gas. [File Photo: zgkyb.com]

Figures show China's proved shale gas reserve have reached some 500 billion cubic meters.

So far, shale gas productivity exceeds 6 billion cubic meters in the four major producing areas, including Fuling, Changning, Weiyuan and Yanchang.

Researcher with the China Geological Survey Ren Shoumai says that shale gas output has soared rapidly over the past three years.

"China's shale gas output was 25 million cubic meters in 2012 and that soared almost six-fold in 2014 to reach 1.3 billion cubic meters. Beginning from 2015, shale gas exploration in China has sped up and the output is expected to top 5 billion cubic meters this year, meaning China will become the third country in the world for shale gas commercial development after the US and Canada."

Currently, the exploration area of shale gas in China covers 170-thousand square kilometers, mainly in the Sichuan Basin and its surrounding areas.

In the meantime, the country had finished the drilling of some 840 shale gas wells at the end of this May.