Fast depletion and more complex geology in new areas earmarked for the second phase development at the Sinopec-operated Fuling shale gas field in the Sichuan basin have all made it difficult for China to boost shale gas production as rapidly as hoped, writes Xu Yihe.

Although China has been going to great lengths to boost shale gas production, the efforts of last year do not seem to have had much impact at existing fields.