Prospects for Shale Gas Development in Asia

The development of unconventional gas resources, especially shale gas, in China and India—two of the world’s fastest-growing economies—warrants close observation because of the potential economic and energy security benefits that successful development could bring to the two nations. An April 2011 assessment of international shale gas resources by the U.S. Energy Information Administration cited technically recoverable shale gas resources (not reserves) in China at 1,275 trillion cubic feet (tcf) and in India at 63 tcf, compared with 1,250 tcf for the United States and Canada combined. China and India have already begun exploring their substantial indigenous shale gas resources, but the question of how well they can replicate the U.S. experience—and over what time period—still looms large. The geological characteristics of shale deposits can vary widely, affecting the potential production profiles. Factors discussed in this report suggest that the pace of development of China’s and India’s shale gas resources could be significantly slower than the North American experience.