Petroleum and natural gas is the basis of the economic development of countries, the object is a national competition. The war in Afghanistan and Iraq, North Africa unrest, tension in the Middle East and Near East, the reason behind it is in fact the competition for oil and gas resources. Rapid economic development, making China the world's second largest oil and gas consumption in china. In order to meet the rapid growth of consumer demand, in 2011 China's oil import dependency reached 56.7%. The rapid development of world resources and the reality of our country economy, forcing us to energy self-sufficiency on the road again, "with Chinese characteristics".

In the United States of America, shale gas is the enterprise get success, exploration and development is the behavior of enterprises, universities and research institutions, there are very few studies of shale gas."

Indeed, shale oil and gas technology revolution in the United States, and the resulting domestic oil and gas production increased rapidly to the global oil and gas import the envy. China is eager to copy the development of shale gas American legend. A number of provinces and cities of Sichuan, Shanxi, Guizhou are scrambling to shout to develop shale gas vigorously.

If shale gas fruit in the United States, can be described as "orange red"; then, China urgently needs to improve the output of natural gas, the orange trees in the land of China, what kind of fruit? Is orange or orange?

Whether it is in accordance with the United States Energy Information Agency data, or the Ministry of land and resources data, shale gas reserves in China are among the highest in the world. However, there is only 62 wells in shale gas experimentation area, assessment on China's shale gas reserves at home and abroad are speculated by geological exploration data based on very limited model, uncertainty greatly. Even if really have huge reserves, China to apply mechanically the development experience of American shale gas into the domestic, I'm afraid there will be the climate does not suit one., make not still will imitate others.

University of Alberta Mike Takht professor Jiang Wenran long trip between the two, energy situation, China knows he said: "the status quo of China's shale gas field, thunder, rain thin, talking to people, but the doers of the less." Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Hu Wenrui is facing the problem of shale gas development in China is summarized as "two high Wuduosan little", namely "the high enthusiasm, the tone is high; reviews, planning, seminar, the establishment of institutions, study abroad; do less, less investment, policy support".

Enthusiasm alone cannot solve the realistic problems. First of all, in the geological conditions, unconventional natural gas reservoir in China is the United States of America to deep burial location of strata, and the relative dispersion. Usa Inc developed hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling shale gas exploitation possible. China's shale beds than the United States to deep, which means, exploitation of shale gas in China need to inject more chemicals and energy conservation considerations, need to use more sophisticated techniques.

Second, the Chinese oil and gas development is still the main state-owned oil and gas company, they also have a lot of conventional natural gas resources for development, after all, open the hard rock is not easy, although promising, but the difficulty is not small, how much will affect the production enthusiasm. Even in non - conventional field, National Oil Co in China are more inclined coal seam gas in the development of policy and technology is relatively mature, instead of shale gas. In order to meet the demand for energy and economic development, the Chinese government has to improve the domestic natural gas production planning, shale gas is regarded as the planning force. However, the enterprise to change the nature of profit. At present, the natural gas pricing power in China in the control of the government, natural gas prices are artificially low, firms are more reluctant to go to the high cost of shale gas mining. The contradiction between control prices and production profit, who left China shale gas development in the process of fast and slow, it needs more time to verify.

In addition to its geological condition and the system design, China has not yet to master the key technology of shale gas mining. But now, almost all the shale gas mining key technology of intellectual property rights are vested in the hands of North america. Even though, China has begun to take action, some shale oil and gas project in the United States and Canada are positive injection. For example, part of CNOOC's purchase of a shale gas blocks in the United States of America shares in Chesapeake Energy Co. However, according to industry insiders revealed, CNOOC had to agree not to the United States of America's gas field to send oil workers shall participate in the board's decision. Visible through the injection of North American companies to learn technology is not accomplish at one stroke the easy.

China found that shale gas reserves in general more water, and the implementation of hydraulic fracturing needs lots of water. On many occasions, Chinese scholars and policy makers have mentioned the shortage of water resources of shale gas mining limit. However, the shale gas by the other two topics covered in the domestic water was rarely mentioned, that is, chemical substances into the hydraulic fracturing method can pollute groundwater, may also cause earthquakes. The two "may" would be a "must", the United States Geological Survey and the United States Environmental Protection Agency has no conclusion, two departments are doing investigation. The two "may" is the main reason of some European countries to prohibit the exploitation of shale gas using the hydraulic fracturing method.

May also need 10 years time, the key mining technology control of domestic shale gas reserves, to understand China, and then improve the technology in the unceasing practice, reduce negative environmental effect, and gradually formed the development route clear, these may be to use about 20 years time to. During this period, perhaps, the study of horizontal wells, in his bank study has been a breakthrough; perhaps, coalbed methane has enjoy quite a reputation got better development; perhaps, the United States Agency should also found out the relationship between the hydraulic fracturing method with groundwater and earthquake...... Too many "maybe" will gradually appear, but there will also be a real Chinese "Chinese characteristics", and this characteristics, experience can not ever again after the jump on the bandwagon with "great leap forward" routine, then break up in an uproar, we in this pattern of growth of the roundabout way too much.