Data revolution before shale revolution

China needs to replicate the US approach of making more data available before it can hope for game-changing shale production growth

A September shale gas discovery by the PetroChina arm of China ‘big three’ oil firm CNPC, in the Sichuan basin, has been hailed as a breakthrough because of the shallower-than-usual depth at which it was made. But it will make little difference to China’s likelihood of hugely undershooting its 2020 shale gas production target.  Beijing remains hopeful that funding shale gas exploration will help reduce China’s growing reliance on gas imports, as part of a wider growing concern over the country’s energy security in the wake of geo-political tensions with the US and its significant Asian naval strength. But analysts argue that root-and-branch reform of the structure of the Chinese gas industry