China to “frack” for shale gas

Shale gas holds the promise of massive clean energy for China.

China is estimated to have the world's largest shale gas reserves. China’s top economic planning agency calls for accelerating the production of shale gas with its own technologies to ensure an adequate supply of clean energy.

Shale gas is a clean and high-efficiency energy resource produced from shale through a complicated process called hydraulic fracturing or "fracking.”

China's total reserves of shale gas are estimated at 31 trillion cubic meters, equivalent to its total supply of conventional natural gas.

"Efforts must be made to achieve early breakthroughs in the appraisal, exploration and development of shale gas resources, as well as to come up with measures to ensure environmental safety," Liu Tienan, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission.

Liu, who is also head of the National Energy Administration, said it was necessary for China to make its own key mining equipment. Factories should increase investments and production to meet the shale gas national output target of 6.5 billion cubic meters for 2015.