Development Status and Key Factors of Successful Development of Shale Gas

The nature,characteristic,distribution in the world and exploration and development status both at home and abroad of the shale gas are briefly introduced.In the world,the mudstone and shale account for 60% of the whole sedimentary rocks,and the resource of shale gas has brightened prospect.The world amount of shale gas resources are 456.24×1012m3,mainly distributed in North America,Central Asia and China,Latin America,the Middle East,North Africa and USSR areas.Recoverable amount of shale gas resources in China is about 26×1012m3,almost the same as the America.In the current economic and technological conditions,shale gas is playing an important role in industrialization exploration of the natural gas.Oil and gas operators in North America are regarding the shale gas reservoirs as their important target for the natural gas development and achieved great success.Through in-depth investigation and summing up history and successful experience from the exploration and production of the shale gas reservoirs in North America,its key factor of effective exploration and production lies in their effective policy and successful application of the advanced drilling and completion technologies including horizontal well and hydraulic fracturing.The potential of shale gas resource is very big in China,but research and exploration and development of the shale gas in China is still at the exploratory stage.The difficulties and technical countermeasures in shale gas development are discussed in the field of the exploration technology,drilling technology,development technology and policy support in the paper.Furthermore,the ideas of successful shale gas development in China are proposed.All these may help the research on related technologies in the country.