China's gas shortage has spread from southern and central parts of the country to Shaanxi province as many north-western cities were hit by a sharp temperature drop recently, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. Daily shortages of natural gas in Xi'an, provincial capital of Shaanxi, amounted to as much as 400,000 cubic metres, Xinhua quoted Liu Min, manager of Xi'an Natural Gas Co, as saying.
The shortfall affected not only transportation and industrial sectors, but also left many residential consumers without cooking gas, it added. The city started using its contingency gas terminals, which can supply 200,000 cubic metres of gas per day, Xinhua said.