TY - GEN
T1 - Water management and policy recommendations for shale gas extraction in China
AU - Xia, Yu Qiang
AU - Song, Li
AU - Boufadel, Michel C.
N1 - Copyright:
Copyright 2014 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - Shale gas holds great promise for a country's economic development and energy independence, but also holds potential perils for the natural resources and the communities. Following the shale gas revolution in the US, China is in full swing to deploy its strategic plan for the shale gas. The Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) has announced the legal status of shale gas as the "172th independent mining resource", and hosted two rounds of bidding for the commercial development of 23 shale gas blocks. The shale gas revolution seems to may happen in China as well. However, some great challenges exist during the shale gas extraction. One is the impact on water resources for shale gas production, unlike the US, water shortage has been a severe problem in China, hindering its economic development. The other one is that shale gas operations may induce environmental problems, such as accidental spills of flowback water, which contains toxic substances. Spills could have long-term cumulative effects on ecosystems, as with oil spills. This paper highlighted water resources challenges and policy vacuum facing in China. Although the U.S. shale gas experience can assist in identifying some potential issues that Chinese regulators and operators may encounter, policy decision on this issue should be based on risk assessment and regulation studies. For China, there is a long way to lay the groundwork for the shale gas revolution.
AB - Shale gas holds great promise for a country's economic development and energy independence, but also holds potential perils for the natural resources and the communities. Following the shale gas revolution in the US, China is in full swing to deploy its strategic plan for the shale gas. The Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) has announced the legal status of shale gas as the "172th independent mining resource", and hosted two rounds of bidding for the commercial development of 23 shale gas blocks. The shale gas revolution seems to may happen in China as well. However, some great challenges exist during the shale gas extraction. One is the impact on water resources for shale gas production, unlike the US, water shortage has been a severe problem in China, hindering its economic development. The other one is that shale gas operations may induce environmental problems, such as accidental spills of flowback water, which contains toxic substances. Spills could have long-term cumulative effects on ecosystems, as with oil spills. This paper highlighted water resources challenges and policy vacuum facing in China. Although the U.S. shale gas experience can assist in identifying some potential issues that Chinese regulators and operators may encounter, policy decision on this issue should be based on risk assessment and regulation studies. For China, there is a long way to lay the groundwork for the shale gas revolution.
KW - Environmental impacts
KW - Policy
KW - Shale gas
KW - Unconventional gas
KW - Water resources
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84891697968&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84891697968&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.869-870.456
DO - 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.869-870.456
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84891697968
SN - 9783037859759
T3 - Advanced Materials Research
SP - 456
EP - 461
BT - Sustainable Development of Industry and Economy
T2 - 3rd International Conference on Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, EESD 2013
Y2 - 12 November 2013 through 13 November 2013
ER -