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Shale gas development progress is much lower than expected
Shale gas exploration and development in China has faced a slowdown, prompting the National Energy Administration and other government departments to take action. On January 7, it was reported that the National Energy Administration held a meeting with the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Land and Resources, and the Ministry of Environmental Protection to accelerate shale gas exploration and implementation of the "Shale Gas Development Plan (2011-2015)". The meeting focused on monitoring the progress of the 12th Five-Year Plan, addressing challenges in shale gas development, and planning future steps.
According to Deputy Director Zhang Yuqing of the National Energy Administration, the administration will continue to work with relevant departments to address policy, technological, and standardization issues raised by enterprises. This effort aims to create a more favorable environment for the growth of the shale gas industry.
Since 2011, the Ministry of Land and Resources has issued two bidding processes for shale gas exploration. These initiatives, supported by attractive policies and promising market prospects, have sparked significant interest. In the second round, nearly 300 companies, including state-owned oil firms, private enterprises, and local state-owned enterprises, participated in the competition.
Currently, daily shale gas production has exceeded 2 million cubic meters. Sinopec and PetroChina’s demonstration zones and foreign cooperation areas have produced a total of 143 million cubic meters of commercial gas. Notably, Sinopec's Chongqing Fuling Block aimed to produce 3.2 billion cubic meters in 2015, nearly doubling its previous target. This progress is seen as a solid foundation for reaching the national goal of 6.5 billion cubic meters in 2015.
However, some industry insiders remain skeptical. Li Wei, director of Zhuo Chuang Information Natural Gas Industry Chain, noted that the progress of bidders from the second round remains slow. According to the 12th Five-Year Plan, China aimed for large-scale production of 6.5 billion cubic meters by 2015. Industry estimates suggest that in 2013, output was close to 200 million cubic meters—far below the 2015 target. Lin Boqiang, director of the Energy Research Center at Xiamen University, expressed doubts about achieving these goals in the next two years.
Several factors are hindering development, including reliance on foreign technology, high costs, limited production scale, and an underdeveloped pipeline network. Companies like PetroChina, Sinopec, CNOOC, Yanchang Petroleum, and Zhonglian Coal generally agree that existing policies have boosted enthusiasm for shale gas development. They hope the government will further refine fiscal and tax measures, clarify subsidy standards during the 13th Five-Year Plan, and strengthen technological research and standardization.
Zhang Yuqing emphasized that companies responsible for the 12th Five-Year Plan should make appropriate arrangements to meet their targets. Looking ahead, continued efforts in technology research, integration, and operational optimization are essential. Breakthroughs in key technologies during the 12th Five-Year Plan will lay the groundwork for the 13th Five-Year Plan. At the same time, environmental protection must remain a top priority in shale gas exploration and development.