Phase I Bozhong 19-6 gas field, China's first 100-billion-cubic-meter gas field in the Bohai Sea, has entered full operation, CNOOC Tianjin Branch announced on August 9, 2026. Photo: Screenshot from the People's Daily

China has pledged to increase its domestic oil and gas supplies to 440 million tons of oil equivalent, while expanding its long-distance pipeline network by an additional 20,000 kilometers, bringing the national total to 220,000 kilometers by 2030.

These targets, unveiled on Monday by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and the National Energy Administration as part of the country's 15th Five-Year Plan, also reveal that the natural gas storage capacity will continue to grow, exceeding 13 percent of national consumption. 

The reception capacity of liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals is set to reach 200 million tons per year, while the overland pipeline import capacity for natural gas will hit 114 billion cubic meters annually. 

Additionally, the annual CO₂ injection volume from carbon capture and storage and carbon capture, utilization, and storage is targeted to reach 10 million tons, it said. 

The country is set to establish a modern oil and gas supply system by 2030, with a firm focus on the dual priorities of safeguarding energy security and advancing green and low-carbon development, said the plan which was released on the official website of NDRC.

The plan also stated that scientific and technological innovation capabilities will be further strengthened, with continued breakthroughs in core technologies, a significant increase in the localization rate of domestically manufactured equipment, and sustainable advancement in digitalization and intelligent transformation.

The target shows that China is increasing the reserve of oil and gas amid the complex geopolitics background, Lin Boqiang, director of the China Center for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University, told the Global Times on Monday.

"Geographically, we are short on oil and gas. But China has every confidence in facing its energy challenges, for our reserves and capacity in wind and solar power are strong," Lin added.

China's total oil and gas output reached 420 million tons of oil equivalent in 2025, a new record high, according to a report released by the NEA in July this year.

Crude oil output hit an all-time high of 216 million tons in 2025, while natural gas output registered an annual increase of over 10 billion cubic meters for the ninth consecutive year, marking a notable improvement in the country's independent energy security capacity, according to the NEA.

China's shale oil output exceeded 8.5 million tons in 2025, more than 10 times the volume recorded in 2018.

In 2026, the sector will launch a new round of strategic oil and gas exploration campaign, continue to increase investment in the sector, and maintain domestic crude oil output above 200 million tons while further increasing natural gas output.

Global Times