State energy giant PetroChina has announced new additions of almost 741 billion cubic meters to its shale gas reserves in the Sichuan province as well as certified reserves of 358 million tons at the Qingcheng oil field. The company said in a stock exchange filing cited by Reuters that it had made a breakthrough in shale oil and gas exploration, which had led to the upgrade in reserves. The total proven reserves in the two shale gas blocks in Sichuan are in excess of 1 trillion cubic meters of gas, PetroChina also said. Shale gas—and oil too—has been touted as a potential solution to China’s energy problem, which comes down to demand outstripping supply. However, emulating the U.S. shale boom has proven tricky. China has recoverable shale gas reserves of 1,115 trillion cu ft , the latest estimate of the Energy Information Administration from 2015 shows. This makes the […]