China's shale and coalbed gas output is projected to reach 30Bn cubic meters (bcm), stated Deng Yusong, an official from the State Council at a recent energy conference.

The expected output of shale gas in China has dropped by more than 50% from the targeted 60-100bcm predicted by the National Energy Administration two years ago.

At present, the exploitation cost of shale in China is four times as much as that in the US. It will take at least four years for China's shale gas market to make remarkable progress, commented Deng at the conference.