页岩气是潜力巨大的非常规天然气资源

通过对北美页岩气藏的深入研究并系统总结其勘探开发历史与成功经验，指出页岩气藏是典型的非常规天然气藏。探讨了页岩气藏在地质特征、开发特征上与常规天然气藏的明显差异。北美油气生产商把页岩气藏作为重要天然气开发目标，其有效勘探开发的关键在于有政策引导和水平井、水力压裂等先进钻、完井技术的成功应用。借鉴其经验，认为我国对页岩气的研究与勘探开发尚处于探索阶段，存在古生界海相与中、新生界陆相两大页岩气勘探开发领域，页岩气资源潜力巨大，在地质理论和钻、完井等生产技术发展的推动下，将成为中国现实的天然气资源。建议加快我国页岩气资源战略调查，制定优惠政策，加强对外合作，推动我国页岩气勘探开发技术和产业化发展。

Shale gas: Enormous potential of unconventional natural gas resources

Shale gas is a special type of unconventional natural gas resource. This paper conducted in depth investigation into and summed up history and successful experience from the exploration and development of the shale gas reservoirs in North America. Unlike conventional natural gas reservoirs, shale gas reservoirs have their special characters from the aspects of geology and development. Oil and gas operators regarded the shale gas as their important target for natural gas development, and achieved great success by their effective policy and advanced drilling and completion technologies including horizontal well and hydraulic fracturing. This paper points out that research and exploration and development of shale gas in China is still at the exploratory stage, the Paleozoic sea facies and Cenozoic continental facies are two important areas for shale gas exploration and development, and the enormous potential of shale gas will become a realistic gas resource only if geological study and technology on drilling and completion are improved to a high level. This paper suggests that survey on the shale gas resource should be hastened, favorable polices should be made out, and more cooperation with foreign countries should be encouraged to promote the shale gas development in China.