Challenges of tight and shale-gas production in China

Natural-gas production from tight and shale-gas reservoirs will be increasingly important in China as the country shifts from coal-based energy to cleaner energy sources. Recent Chinese sources have estimated that the gas-in-place resources from tight and shale-gas reservoirs in China are at least 12 x 1012 m3 and 31 x 1012 m3, respectively. In 2008, annual production from tight gas reservoirs reached 20 x 109 m3, approximately 23% of the naturalgas production in China. Commercial production from shale-gas reservoirs has not begun but is expected to grow rapidly. Copyright© 2013 International Petroleum Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.