This book tries to sort out basic methods and technologies in shale gas exploration and development from the perspective of the industry. The book can be divided into ten chapters. The first chapter briefly introduces categories and forming conditions of shale gas resources. The second chapter studies several phases of shale gas exploration and development. It discusses methods and technical means for shale gas exploration and development from the perspective of geological surveys, tests and analysis as well as geophysics and geochemical exploration respectively from the third chapter to the sixth chapter. The seventh chapter illustrates shale gas geology and the evaluation of resources. It discusses drilling and completion, development, and economic assessments respectively from the eighth chapter to the tenth chapter.

“China’s New Strategy on Energy - Shale Gas Publishing Project” covers four volumes and twenty fascicles, including geological theories of shale gas and evaluation for exploration, exploration methods and techniques for shale gas geophysics, shale gas development projects and techniques, and economic and environmental policies for shale gas technology. With relevant theories, methods and techniques in the industrial chain of shale gas, the series comes up with comprehensive sorting, illustration and discussions.

Jinchuan Zhang, a professor at China University of Geosciences (Beijing). His main research focuses on the enrichment mechanisms, distribution patterns, resource evaluation, and favorable selection areas for unconventional natural gases such as shale gas, tight sandstone gas and coalbed methane and anomalous geothermal resources. Through Well Yuye-1, he was the first to discover shale gas in China. He has served as the chief expert for national shale gas resource assessment and as the executive chairman of the 376th Xiangshan Scientific Conference. Additionally, he was the executive chairman of the International Academic Symposium on Shale Gas.
 
Jianghui Ding, a senior engineer at China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and a hands-on expert in the exploration and development of shale gas. He has long been dedicated to shale gas reservoir evaluation and engineering technology breakthroughs, accumulating substantial field experience in the commercial development of shale gas in key regions such as the Sichuan Basin. His research outcomes have provided critical technical support for the large-scale, cost-effective development of shale gas in China. As one of the lead authors, he systematically summarizes the practical experience of integrated engineering-geological practices in domestic shale gas development in this book.
 
Haikuan Nie, a professor-level senior engineer at the Sinopec Petroleum Exploration and Production Research Institute and a renowned shale gas geologist. He is primarily engaged in research on the geological theory of shale gas accumulation and sweet-spot evaluation, making significant contributions to the discovery and exploration breakthrough of the Fuling Shale Gas Field. He has unique insights into the enrichment patterns and sweet-spot prediction of shale gas in the complex tectonic areas of South China, and has published a series of high-level academic papers. This book embodies his core understandings in both theoretical innovation and practical exploration of shale gas geology.
 
Wei Dang, a professor at Xi’an Shiyou University, dedicated to teaching and research in petroleum accumulation geology and shale gas geology. He emphasizes the integration of petroleum geology theories with the unique characteristics of shale gas, conducting in-depth investigations into the microscopic pore structures of shale reservoirs and gas-bearing property evaluations. As a university educator, he has trained a number of professionals for the industry and actively promotes the integration of industry, academia, and research. In this book, he is primarily responsible for organizing the foundational geological theories and elucidating the accumulation mechanisms, thereby constructing a systematic knowledge framework for readers.
 
Xuan Tang, a professor and doctoral supervisor at China University of Geosciences (Beijing) with notable achievements in the fields of shale sedimentology and geochemistry. He focuses on fundamental geological issues such as the paleoenvironmental background of shale formation, mechanisms of organic matter enrichment, and detailed characterization of shale lithofacies. His research outcomes provide important evidence for shale gas sweet-spot prediction. With a rigorous academic mindset, he excels at revealing the formation and evolution of shale gas reservoirs from the perspective of sedimentary origins. In this book, he systematically discusses the sedimentary characteristics and distribution patterns of major shale formations in China.
 
Ali Saud Madni, Professor at the University of the Punjab, the oldest university in Pakistan. He has previously served as a visiting professor at the University of Peshawar and the Aga Khan University. From 2018 to 2022, he was a visiting scholar at Lanzhou University.