China's crude oil output up 2.1%

BEIJING -- China's crude oil output amounted to 173.05 million tons in the first ten months, a year-on-year increase of 2.1 percent, according to data from the country's top economic planner.

During the January-October period, China refined 366.51 million tons of crude oil, up 7.4 percent year-on-year. Refined oil production rose 6.5 percent to 225.59 million tons, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a statement.

Apparent consumption of refined oil, calculated as production plus imports minus exports, increased 4.7 percent from a year earlier to 217.88 million tons.

In a separate statement, the planner said natural gas output totaled 95.9 billion cubic meters in the first ten months, an increase of 9.2 percent year-on-year.

China's imports of natural gas saw an increase of 23.9 percent to 42.6 billion cubic meters, while apparent consumption came in at 133.6 billion cubic meters, the commission said.

China's appetite for natural gas has grown substantially with the country's industrialization and urbanization initiatives amid government efforts to cut carbon emissions.

According to the sector's development plan, China aims to bring its natural gas supply capacity to around 176 billion cubic meters, making the energy available to 250 million people, or 18 percent of the population, by 2015.