With the full support of the Ministry of Land and Resources and the Provincial Department of Land and Resources, Yichang has achieved a major breakthrough in the shale gas exploration.

Last August, Wuhan Geological Survey Center, a branch of China Geological Survey Bureau, drilled from Tucheng village in Dianjun district to the village of Tianheban and successfully ignited the gas. Then the provincial Geological Survey Center successively launched more than 10 shale gas exploration projects, including the Yichang(Hubei province)- Baokang(a county in Xiangyang, Hubei province) line, and one out of five shale gas exploration in the area of Yichang and so on. Up to date, 15 shale gas exploration wells have been investigated and the relative department is about to implement the development of 2 parameter wells.

Through the preliminary analyzing of the geological survey, it was found that in Yichang area there were several places which have huge shale gas resources potential with rich shale formation and large thickness as well as wide distribution. The places include Doushantuo village, Niutitang village and other areas. It is estimated that the gas volume in Doushantuo village and Niutitang village amounts to 2 trillion cubic meters and its potential economic value is about 5.2 trillion yuan.  

The shale gas, a kind of natural gas resources contained in the shale fracture which can be exploited, is a clean and efficient energy resource and chemical material. It has a promising future for its application in fields of energy, industrial fuel and chemical material as well as electrical power and so on. (Correspondents Lu Zhiliang and Zhang Shanwu)