China's crude oil output set to hit record high in 2025

China's domestic crude oil production is expected to reach a record-high of 215 million metric tons for 2025, according to latest data from the National Energy Administration (NEA).

The milestone caps a period of exploration breakthroughs and stable output growth, pushing China's oil and gas sector into a new phase of production increase, efficiency gains and green development, according to the NEA.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China cumulatively added 105 million tons of new crude oil production capacity. Offshore crude oil has been a major growth driver, consistently accounting for over 60 percent of the nation's total new petroleum output for five years running, the administration stated.

In the natural gas sector, China's output has achieved year-on-year increases of ten billion cubic meters for nine years running, solidifying its position as the fourth-largest natural gas producer globally.

Natural gas production is projected to reach 260 billion cubic meters (bcm) by the end of the year, marking an increase of 35 percent compared to the end of the previous five-year plan period.

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, cumulative newly proven geological reserves of oil surpassed 7 billion tons while natural gas reserves exceeded 7 trillion cubic meters, a reserve increase of approximately 43 percent for oil and 40 percent for natural gas compared to the previous five-year period.

To support this growth, the national oil and gas pipeline network has expanded to 195,000 kilometers, accelerating the formation of a unified national grid.

Hu Jianwu, deputy director of the NEA's petroleum and natural gas department, said China's oil and gas industry is entering a new stage of quantitative and efficiency increase alongside green development, establishing a more secure, efficient and resilient modern oil and gas production, supply, storage and sales system.

This system provides a solid guarantee for national energy security and stable economic and social development, Hu added.

zhengxin@chinadaily.com.cn