China Steps Up Shale Gas Exploration, Production

China's natural gas consumption hit an all-time high this weekend amid a cold wave that froze parts of the country. One of the biggest gas importers in the world, China must have felt its dependency on external supply particularly acutely this weekend. But it is working to change things, boosting domestic output and focusing on unconventional resources. Sinopec, the state-owned energy major, reported that total output from one 6-2HF well at the country's largest shale gas field had reached 400 million cu m. It may not sound like a lot, but it is…