Business

China's oil and gas production sees growth

Employees work next to tanks for liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a factory in Xian, Shaanxi province, China. — Reuters
 
Employees work next to tanks for liquefied natural gas (LNG) at a factory in Xian, Shaanxi province, China. — Reuters
BEIJING: China recorded notable increases in oil and natural gas production between January and August 2024, with oil output rising by 2.1% and natural gas production by 6.6% compared to the same period last year.

Data from the State Bureau of Statistics revealed that the country produced 142.79 million tonnes of oil during the first eight months of the year. However, oil imports saw a decline of 3.1% year-on-year, amounting to 366.91 million tonnes.

Oil refining activity also took a slight dip, with 472.53 million tonnes refined during the same period, a 1.2% decrease compared to the previous year.

In August alone, China produced 17.83 million tonnes of oil, reflecting a 2.1% increase from August 2023.

On the natural gas front, production surged to 163.7 billion cubic meters over the first eight months of 2024, marking a 6.6% increase year-on-year. August saw a particularly sharp rise, with 20 billion cubic meters of natural gas produced, up 9.4% from the same month in 2023.

Gas imports also surged in August, climbing 9.1% to reach 11.76 million tonnes. For the year-to-date period, gas imports rose 12.3%, totaling 87.13 million tonnes. — ONA