2 Dec 2009 08:15

Sinopec to boost gas output for winter

Shanghai. December 2. INTERFAX-CHINA - China Petrochemical Corp. (Sinopec Group) will further increase its natural gas output to ensure adequate supplies this winter, the company announced on Dec. 1.

Sinopec Group's average daily output grew to 23.80 million cubic meters in the fourth quarter, up by 1.8 million cubic meters over last quarter's total, according to a company newsletter. When heavy snowfalls hit in northern China between Nov. 1 and Nov. 18, the company boosted its daily gas output to 24.60 million cubic meters.

On Nov. 26, the company met with 11 of its natural gas production and sales subsidiaries and plans to increase its daily gas output by between 300,000 and 500,000 cubic meters over December and January.

The Daniudi Gasfield, which is the company's largest in operation, now supplies about 6 million cubic meters of natural gas each day to northern China via the second phase of Shaanxi-Beijing gas pipeline. Sinopec Group also plans to increase the gasfield's daily output by between 200,000 and 300,000 cubic meters.

In addition, the company will soon start a drilling program that had been planned for next year that will increase the daily output of its Zhongyuan Oilfield in Henan Province by 50,000 cubic meters.

-TW