BEIJING -- China’s shale gas output will likely hit 6.5 billion cubic meters next year, 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 country started to survey and explore the energy source in 2009, Zhang said at a workshop held in Beijing on Oct 17.

The output surge has come with increasing use of natural gas in China. Government data showed that domestic natural gas output hit 117.1 billion cubic meters in 2013, up 9.5 percent year on year. However, the production was short of demand. Total natural gas consumption 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, 30 percent of the natural gas China consumes is imported.

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