PetroChina plans to build the country's largest gas storage facility in north China able to store 12 billion cubic metres of the clean fuel, China Chemical Industry News reported on Friday.

 

The paper, citing PetroChina Chairman Jiang Jiemin, said the storage will be built in the Changqing oil and gas field, one of the country's largest gas producing regions. It did not say when that storage will be built.

 

China's energy policymakers have recently urged expediting construction of gas storage as surging demand led by residential and power use often strains supplies, especially as harsh winter weather hits.

 

At 12 bcm, it would be equivalent to more than 10 percent of China's total gas demand forecast for this year.

 

Changqing field, mostly in northern Shaanxi province, produced nearly 19 bcm gas last year, the paper said.

 

(Source: Reuters)