Being a unconventional resource, shale gas is usually generated and preserved in-situ, and its ultra-low permeability results in huge difficulty for commercial development. A typical shale gas production profile would start with high level initial production, followed by a sharp decline and a long-term of low level production. The global shale gas resource volume, the development technology and the significance of shale gas development are summarized, and the development status of shale gas industry in China is introduced as well. The shale gas geological resource of China is estimated as 134.42×10¹² m³, and the technically recoverable resource is 25.08×10¹² m³. Engineering experiences have proved that "horizontal well+volume fracturing+factory operation" is a successful and effective mode of shale gas development. China has so far preliminarily developed three marine shale gas reservoirs, i.e.,Changning-Weiyuan, Zhaotong and Fuling, and the total productivity is 97×10¹² m³/a. The efficient development of shale gas will help China relieve the imbalance between energy supply and demand, adjust the energy consumption structure, strengthen the influence on international pricing power of natural gas, and boost regional economic development.

shale gas  /  energy structure  /  resource development