2000年以来，以美国为典型代表的非常规天然气开发的成功案例极大地鼓励了世界各国对非常规资源的关注和积极投入。美国非常规天然气开发使之由进口转向出口，成为全球第一大天然气生产国；加拿大的非常规天然气开发和利用也名列前茅；澳大利亚和中国分别处于起步和初级阶段。中国与美国非常规天然气开发存在较大的差异，未来发展需要借鉴其先进技术和经验。
Since 2000，the successful cases of unconventional gas development，especially in the United States，have greatly encouraged all countries to pay more attention to unconventional resources and enlarge investment. The United States has turned from imports to exports and became the world’s largest natural gas producer due to the development of unconventional gas. Canada’s unconventional gas development and utilization are also among the best. Australia and China are in their infancies and primary stage，respectively. There are great differences between China and US in the development of unconventional gas. The future development needs to learn from its advanced technology and experience.
