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

The Tarim Oilfield in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region had surpassed a cumulative total of 500 billion cubic meters of natural gas as of Tuesday, according to the oilfield operator, PetroChina's Tarim Oilfield, Chinanews.com.cn reported on Wednesday.

The company said that 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, the Science and Technology Daily reported on Wednesday.

Located in the Tarim Basin, China's largest onshore oil and gas basin, the Tarim Oilfield was established in 1989. The basin is known as 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 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 pipeline system, benefiting consumers and industries across 15 provinces and regions.

Moreover, 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, according to the operator.

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

More than 1,700 wells drilled by PetroChina's Tarim Oilfield have surpassed 6,000 meters in depth, accounting for more than 80 percent of China's cultural-deep wells. Among them, 100 have reached depths of 8,000 meters or deeper, according to a report by People's Daily.

Global Times