Shale gas sector gears up in China

Two months before the expected third round of bidding for shale gas exploration rights, a Chinese firm on Friday successfully tested extraction equipment.

The equipment will operate in complex geographic conditions, according to the manufacturer, the Shenzhen-listed Yantai Jereh Oilfield Services Group Co Ltd, which is based in Yantai, Shandong province.

"The machines can be used in areas with poor roads and uneven land for long operational periods with a heavy workload," said Cui Rizhe, the director of the manufacturer's technology center.