Tarim oilfield located in the Tarim Basin in Southwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Photo: VCG

Northwest China's Tarim Oilfield has produced more than 500 billion cubic meters of natural gas in total as of Tuesday, according to the oilfield operator, PetroChina's Tarim Oilfield, chinanews.com.cn reported on Wednesday.

The company said the output is equivalent to nearly twice China's total natural gas production in 2025 and has played a significant role in safeguarding China's national energy security and advancing a lower‑carbon energy mix, according to a report by Science and Technology Daily on Wednesday.

Set up in 1989, the Tarim Oilfield is located in the Tarim Basin in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region — China's largest onshore oil and gas basin and one of the country's most challenging areas for exploration and development.

As the nation's largest ultra‑deep oil and gas production base, the Tarim Oilfield is also a principal source for China's west-to-east gas transmission project. It has delivered more than 390 billion cubic meters of natural gas to the west‑east pipeline system, benefiting consumers and industries across 15 provinces and regions.

The oilfield has also built a trunk gas network of more than 5,400 kilometers and supplied more than 73 billion cubic meters of natural gas to southern Xinjiang, bringing clean energy to residents in 42 counties and cities there, according to the operator.

According to company estimates, the cumulative gas produced by Tarim Oilfield is equivalent to replacing 660 million tons of standard coal and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 730 million tons.

According to statistics, PetroChina's Tarim Oilfield has more than 1,700 wells deeper than 6,000 meters, accounting for more than 80 percent of China's total. In particular, 100 of them have reached depths of 8,000 meters or deeper, according to a People's Daily report.


Global Times