As the environmental protection initiative is implemented and the energy mix is adjusted, the demand for natural gas consumption in China is steadily increasing. However, the supply of natural gas is crucial to the development of the natural gas industry, because it is the domestic production of natural gas that forms the basis for the planning and development of China's natural gas industry. This article outlines the main problems of natural gas exploration and development in China by comparing its development with that of the United States. Based on the growth of proven reserves and technological progress, the article predicts the production of conventional and unconventional natural gas.

Key findings:

• Comparing the development of natural gas in China and the United States, it can be concluded that the unconventional gas industry has developed rapidly and established a trend of "active substitution" of conventional natural gas in China.
• The main problems in the natural gas exploration and development process are resource degradation, low efficiency of technologies used in production, low profitability in developing new gas fields, difficulty in organizing and managing the load, high safety and environmental protection risks.
• The paper also shows progress and trends in theories and technologies for natural gas exploration and development; and calculates the growth potential of conventional and unconventional natural gas reserves and production.
• According to the authors' forecast, conventional natural gas production would remain at 136*109m3 in 2035, and unconventional natural gas production will increase to 115*109 m3 while with 9*109 m3 of dissolved gas, the total domestic natural gas production will reach 260*109 m3.

Reference: Jia A. et al. Predictions on natural gas development trend in China for the next fifteen years //Journal of Natural Gas Geoscience. – 2021. – Т. 6. – №. 2. – p. 67-78.