China's domestic natural gas output rose 3 percent in November from a year ago to its highest monthly level since March, data on Thursday showed, as producers rushed to boost supplies to meet surging winter heating demand due to Beijing's war on smog. Producers pumped 12.6 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas in November, up from 12.4 bcm last month, according to data from the national statistics bureau.
Major gas fields such as PetroChina's Yanchang and Changqing have been running at full capacity in a bid to cope with demand for the fuel for heating since many northern cities reported gas shortages in November as part of Beijing's drive to cut coal use and curb pollution. For the first 11 months of 2017, gas output reached 133.8 bcm, on track to beat the annual record of 136.8 bcm for the whole year of 2016.
Meanwhile China's crude oil processing rate rose to 49.43 million tonnes, or 12.03 million barrels per day (bpd), in November, setting a record on daily basis. Run rates rose to 11.34 million bpd for the January to November period - higher than the annual record of 10.79 million bpd set last year, and pointing to a fresh 12-month high in store for all of 2017. Rising diesel and gasoline prices this winter have boosted margins for refinery and the demand for crude oil.