CNPC to produce 500 million cu m of shale gas by 2015

China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), China’s largest integrated oil and gas enterprise, aims to produce 500 million cubic meters of shale gas by 2015, said Deputy General Manager Liao Yongyuan, the China Daily reported. At present, there is no shale gas production in China, and evaluation of the potential resources is only at a preliminary stage, said Liao. CNPC will also focus on developing ethanol by using non-grain crops and will increase its annual ethanol supply capacity, including both production and imports, to 3 million metric tons by 2015. By 2015, CNPC will import 80 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually. (July 6, 2010)