China plans to build 8 giant natural gas bases by 2020  

中国将建8个大型天然气基地 年产量各百亿立方米

昨日发布的《能源发展战略行动计划(2014-2020年)》(以下简称《计划》)指出，未来将努力建设8个年产量百亿立方米级以上的大型天然气生产基地。到2020年，累计新增常规天然气探明地质储量5.5万亿立方米，年产常规天然气1850亿立方米。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- China plans to build eight new natural gas production bases by 2020, each capable of producing 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year, in a move to reinforce the country's natural gas supply, the National Business Daily reported Wednesday.

China wants 10 percent of its energy supplied from natural gas, while lowering its overall coal use to 62 percent from the current level of 66 percent by 2020, the Energy Development Strategy Action Plan (2014-2020) published by the State Council on Wednesday said.

China aims to increase the production volume of conventional natural gas to 185 billion cubic meters a year, up from 117.8 billion cubic meters in 2013.

Large-scale natural gas production bases would lower costs and facilitate management, benefiting upstream sectors, said Li Li, director of ICIS, a provider of petrochemical market information.

The plan also highlights natural gas usage for public transportation, including taxis and buses, Li added, but the growth would be steady, with no explosive development.

Wang Hao, an analyst for oilchem.net, said the natural gas industry has been impacted by increasing prices.

In addition to conventional natural gas extraction, the plan said production of both shale gas and coalbed methane could reach 30 billion cubic meters by 2020.

China receives around 30 percent of its natural gas from foreign sources, the National Energy Administration said.