China National Mineral Resource Committee disclosed Sunday that it found a major gas field with a proven reserve of 100 billion cubic meters in northern Xinjiang.

It is the first reserve of this size ever discovered around the Junggar basin, according to Chen Xinfa, general manager of Xinjiang Oilfield Company, a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation.

"Klameli gas field is also our company's first complete gas field ever found. Its exploitation will alleviate the gas shortage in northern Xinjiang," said Chen.

Kuang Lichun, deputy general manager of Xinjiang Oilfield Company, which is in charge of prospecting, admitted the reserve, about 250 km away from Karamay city, was actually found in 2006. The positive results obtained from a test well occurred in September of 2006.

He failed to give a reason for why there was a two year delay in disclosing the finding.

More test wells have been sunk since the finding. The Klameli gas field will produce 3.38 billion cubic meters of gas this year alone, of which, only 20 percent will be sold to cities of Urumqi and Sihezi, according to Kuang. The rest of the gas is for the company's own use.

Junggar Basin is said to have 2.5 trillion cubic meters of gas in reserve. Xinjiang Oil Company, which is responsible for exploiting oil and gas reserves there, planned to boost its annual gas production to 5 billion cubic meters by 2010. This output will double by 2015.

(Xinhua News Agency December 15, 2008)