Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, a strategic onshore oil
production base in northwest China, turned out 24.1 million tons of
crude oil in 2005, 1.5 million tons over the previous year.
Geological surveys show Xinjiang's oil and natural gas deposits
stand at an equivalent of 30 billion tons of oil, accounting for a
quarter of the nation's total.
With more deposits proven, the region's crude oil output has
been increasing by an average 1.14 million tons annually since 1990
and has thus far topped all Chinese localities for 15 years
running.
Last year, Xinjiang also produced 10.2 billion cubic meters of
natural gas, one fifth of the nation's total.
Its proven geological gas reserves stood at 1.06 trillion cubic
meters at the end of 2004.
Xinjiang, covering 1.6 million square kilometers, is the largest
provincial-level region in China by territory.
(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)