Bloomberg: China Seeks ‘Breakthroughs’ in Developing Shale-Gas Resources

China, holder of the world’s biggest shale-gas resources, is gauging reserves and acquiring exploration expertise as it seeks “breakthroughs” in developing the unconventional fuel in the 10 years ending 2025.

The foundation for using gas found in shale formations will be laid by 2015, Liu Tienan, head of the National Energy Administration, said in Beijing today while attending a session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, the country’s top political advisory body.

China, which has yet to produce shale gas commercially, aims to triple the use of natural gas by 2020 to 10 percent of energy consumption to curb pollution. The country plans to start developing shale-gas resources by 2015, and accelerate its extraction by the end of the decade, the Ministry of Land and Resources said on March 1. MORE