China boasts abundance of unconventional natural gas resources, and their development is significant to satisfy the domestic demand for natural gas, Chinamining reported, citing a National Energy Administration (NEA) official.

Zhang Yuqing, director of Natural Gas Department of NEA made the remark when attending the fourth Sino-U.S. Energy Policy Dialogue opened Sunday in the coastal city of Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province.

The resource volume of China's low permeable gas, coal bed methane, and shale gas are each respectively estimated at 100 trillion cubic meters, 30 trillion cubic meters, and 100 trillion cubic meters. Besides, China is rich in high sulfur natural gas and carbon dioxide-containing natural gas.

At present, China has an annual coal-bed methane output of 5.8 billion cubic meters, and it is preparing for the pilot development of shale gas.

China first embarked on exploring for low-grade natural gas resources in the 1970s. In 2008, the production volume of dense sandstone gas, high sulfur natural gas, and carbon dioxide-containing natural gas accounted for about 19.3 percent of China's natural gas volume, and this proportion is expected to continue rising in the future.

Zhang added that developing unconventional natural gas resources can help China adopt leading natural gas development technology and experience, and it is meanwhile favorable for China to perfect related policies.