Central China's metropolis Wuhan, once grappling with natural gas shortage, has resumed its natural gas supplies to industrial users since Friday.

An executive from the Wuhan Natural Gas Company said Saturday this was because of more gas supplies from the upstream providers.

The amount of natural gas provided for the Mingda Glass (Wuhan) Co. Ltd, the largest gas consumer in the capital of Hubei Province, increased from the lowest 50,000 cubic meters a day to 120,000 cubic meters on Saturday.

Wuhan has suffered the worst gas shortage in five years as it was hit by cold weather that was unusual in early November.

The city government started to cut natural gas supplies to industrial users on Nov. 17 in an effort to ensure residential supplies. The gas supplies to the taxis was also cut off.

China's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), Wednesday urged major natural gas providers to further boost production and seek imports to ease the gas shortage.

Although previous efforts to boost gas supply has ensured residential demand, it would be difficult to fundamentally ease the shortage in the short term, the NDRC said in an urgent notice to three major gas providers -- the China National Petroleum Corp., China Petrochemical Corp. and China National Offshore Oil Corp..