Shale oil techniques are difficult to export, experts say

Chinese companies have invested in Oklahoma City based Chesapeake Energy Corp., Devon Energy Corp. and SandRidge Energy Inc. Even with the expertise they gain from those projects, similar shale projects in China are not expected anytime soon, said Robert Sheppard, former CEO of BP PLC's Russian oil company TNK.

“You need a service sector that's incredibly sophisticated with a pretty high-tech workforce,” Sheppard said. “Building that in China is going to be difficult.”

Mike Stice, CEO of Oklahoma City-based Access Midstream Partners, earlier in his career spent five years trying to develop coal bed methane throughout the world.

While unconventional oil and natural gas reserves have been found in many areas, few contain the other resources necessary for successful production, he said.

“We are blessed here in North America with tremendous infrastructure and service businesses,” Stice said.

It is not easy to quickly build the equipment and expertise needed for horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing and other processes for producing unconventional oil. But Stice said he expects the rest of the world to catch up eventually.