(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-12-28 15:36

PetroChina Co, the country's largest oil company, increased gas output from the Tarim field in Northwest China by more than 50 percent this year as demand for cleaner-burning fuel rises.

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The field in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region produced 15.4 billion cubic meters of gas by December 26, up from 10 billion cubic meters in 2006, parent China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) said in a statement today.

"The field has become the nation's largest gas production base after less than 20 years of development," CNPC said in the statement.

China wants gas to account for a greater share of energy supplies to the world's fastest-growing economy, with use of the fuel projected to double in the five years ending 2010.

PetroChina has increased drilling and exploration this year to meet a target of boosting gas output 25 percent.

Tarim will supply 13.7 billion cubic meters of the fuel this year to the west-east gas pipeline that carries gas from Xinjiang to eastern cities including Shanghai, CNPC said. The 4,000-kilometer pipeline was completed in December 2004.