Comparison of water stress regarding potential shale energy development in China and the US

•A life-cycle-based modeling framework about the whole process of shale development.•The firsthand data by site-wise investigations on 779 shale production wells in China.•Propose regulation approaches to mitigating shale-induced water pressures.•Policy combinations can effectively mitigate the water pressures. Unconventional shale resources are important options in mitigating intensified energy challenges. Little is known regarding the national-scale water stress induced by the demand-and-supply contradiction during shale development. We here propose a new life-cycle-based model for estimating water intensities of single shale wells and use them as proxies to calculate the water stress facing China and the US. In China, most shale provinces have low water stress (< 1); Xinjiang has the highest one (∼10) so that either long-distance water diversion or groundwater extraction from deep aquifers would be required. The water stress facing the US is not as optimistic as China due to generally lower water availability; Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, and Pennsylvania have the highest water stress (between 10 and 25 under high intensity). We also find that policy combinations can effectively mitigate the water stress and suggest that deep cooperation be desired among those shale -rich countries. [Display omitted]