China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), the nation's biggest oil producer, has cut its exports by 62 percent so as to help ease domestic short supply.

 

CNPC's domestic supply has been increased by 9.2 percent, said the statement.

 

Currently, the output capacity of CNPC's refineries has reached 99 percent, the highest level in history, it read.

 

The oil producer's refineries will continue operating at full steam in May, ordering its sales enterprises not to raise the price of oil for any reason.

 

It has also decided to postpone the maintenance of part of its refineries that should have been finished in the second quarter of the year.

 

Recently, China's domestic market, especially Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong province, has been plagued by the short supply problem for finished oil products.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 19, 2006)