City government officials from Zhengzhou, provincial capital of Henan, told a press conference there on Monday that over seven cities in the central Chinese province have reduced supplies of natural gas to residents due to shortages.

According to Shanghai-based China Business News on Tuesday, the supply in Zhengzhou can only meet two-thirds of its 600,000 users' daily demand and the cities of Puyang, Anyang, Kaifeng, Hebi, Jiaozuo and Luohe are suffering similar problems.

Guo Jun, a professor at Henan Institute of Finance and Economics, told the newspaper that some people in Zhengzhou began to have problems getting enough gas to cook with at the start of winter, more than a month ago.

The report quoted Yan Guoqi, president of Zhengzhou Gas Co Ltd, as saying that his firm could only provide 1.1 million cubic meters each day, and he expected the city to face a shortage of 60 million cubic meters against its estimated total winter demand of 300 million cubic meters.

He said PetroChina Co Ltd is contracted to supply them with 154 million cubic meters, and China Petroleum & Chemical Corp's Zhongyuan gas & oilfield with 94 million cubic meters.

It was unclear whether the problem was caused by a larger than usual increase in demand or a supply issue.

Yesterday's Dahe Daily, a local city paper, reported that Song Jinhui, Zhengzhou Gas' general manager, said his company had to buy in gas at a higher price from PetroChina's Zhengzhou Henran Co and Jincheng Coal Co in north China's Shanxi Province to ease the shortage.

In Puyang County, in the city of Puyang, where the Zhongyuan gas & oilfield is located, gas supplies have struggled to reach 13,000 households since December 5.

An official from Zhongyuan gas & oilfield promised to increase production to meet increasing demand, China Business News said.

A natural gas station in Zhengzhou with a banner apologizing for the shortage. A taxi driver showing her natural gas purchase book whilst complaining about the shortage.

(China.org.cn, China Daily December 14, 2005)