China's shale gas output will likely hit 6.5 billion cubic meters nextyear, up from an estimated output between 1 billion and 1.5 billion cubic meters this year,vice director of the National Energy Administration Zhang Yuqing predicted.

Shale gas production in recent years has seen leapfrog development since the countrystarted to survey and explore the energy source in 2009, Zhang said at a workshop held inBeijing on Friday.

The output surge has come with increasing use of natural gas in China. Government datashowed that domestic natural gas output hit 117.1 billion cubic meters in 2013, up 9.5percent year on year. However, the production was short of demand. Total natural gasconsumption stood at 167.5 billion cubic meters, up 10 percent year on year.

The country must rely on imports to make up for the supply shortage. Currently, 30percent of the natural gas China consumes is imported.

Shale gas is an important unconventional source of natural gas. So far the reserves beinginvested in for exploration have hit 130 billion cubic meters in the country, Zhang said.�