Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region produced 30.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2015, pushing the total output to 301 billion cubic meters since the autonomous region was established in 1955.
According to the latest statistics from the region's four major gas producers, the Karamay, Tarim, Tuha and Tahe oil fields, Xinjiang has yielded over 20 percent of national gas output for 11 consecutive years.
Xinjiang is the birthplace of China's petroleum and natural gas industry. The Karamay oil field was discovered 60 years ago and produced up to one million cubic meters of natural gas that year. The daily output of natural gas in Xinjiang achieved 95 million cubic meters this year.
Boasting three major gas-rich basins -- Tarim, Junggar and Tuha -- Xinjiang began developing its gas exploitation industry in 2004 after a large project started bringing gas from Xinjiang to China's booming eastern regions.
The increase in Xinjiang's gas output has also boosted the development of China's natural gas industry and clean energy use in the region. Natural gas consumption per capita in Xinjiang reached 240 cubic meters in 2014, which was 1.7 times the national average.
Xinjiang has huge potential in oil and gas exploration and production. Resource assessment shows the region has 1.4 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 5.6 billion tonnes of oil.
