Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region pumped out 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2005, becoming an important supplier of clean energy in the nation.

According to the regional development and reform commission, the Tarim Oilfield company under the China National Petroleum Corp., one of the country's two major onshore oil and gas producers, provided 24 million cubic meters of natural gas every day for the west-to-east gas transportation program.

Meanwhile, Yakera-Dalaoba oil/gas field in Tarim, developed by Sinopec, another major onshore oil/gas producer of the nation, started operation last September.

In early December, construction began on the Tarim Yingmaili gas-field group, so far the largest group of condensed gas fields in China, indicating the west-to-east gas transportation program entered the second stage.

The gas-field group will take a total investment of 5.26 billion yuan (US$648.6 million) and is due to come on stream in December 2006.

Xinjiang plans to produce 15 billion cubic meters of natural gas this year.

It is estimated that Xinjiang is blessed with natural gas resources of 10.3 trillion cubic meters, or 34 percent of the nation's total.

(Xinhua News Agency January 30, 2006)