Explorers announced in Harbin yesterday they have found China's
fifth largest natural gas field in the northeastern province of
Heilongjiang after a yearlong search of the area.
The Qingshen gas field is located in the county of Zhaozhou, about
140 kilometers west of the city of Daqing, the site of the
country's largest oilfield.
The newly detected gas field is hidden beneath the Daqing Oilfield
and was found after the efforts by more than 2,000 explorers, said
Wang Yupu, president of Daqing Oilfield Co., Ltd.
A preliminary probe found that the gas field has reserves of at
least 100 billion cubic meters.
The Qingshen gas field will exert great influence on China's
natural gas distribution, said Jia Chengzao of the Chinese Academy
of Sciences.
Jia said international oil and gas explorers have for a long time
said that a large oilfield would be accompanied by a large natural
gas field.
(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2005)