关键词: 美国东部, 页岩气, 革命, 勘探开发, 科技创新

Abstract: Out of the consideration that the United States might face shortage of natural gas supply, the US Energy Department carried out the shale gas project in the eastern part of the country between 1976 and 1992, aiming at accurate assessment of geological reserves and recoverable reserves of shale gas, development of exploration principles for the optimized targets and improvement of the cost-effective production methods. This project covers a variety of assessment, characteristics of resources and worksites, basic research and modeling, and development of production technologies, including the key technologies and products, such as foam fracturing, directional coring and fracture analysis, shale gas absorption and desorption mechanism, downhole videoing, large-scale hydraulic fracturing, directional drilling, electromagnetic measurement while drilling, and carbon dioxide fracturing. Remarkable achievements have been made in boosting natural gas output, accumulating basic data, raising governmental taxes, and promoting US shale gas development, triggering “shale gas revolution” worldwide. Based on review of the successful experiences from the US project, it is proposed that the government be dominant in China’s shale gas development so as to stimulate technological innovation and attract the medium-size and small oil companies for shale gas development

Key words: East US, shale gas, revolution, exploration and development, technological innovation