A mid-sized natural gas reserve has been discovered in China's Bohai Sea, China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) Limited announced on Monday.

The discovery, Bozhong 22-1 structure, is in south central Bohai with an average water depth of about 25 meters.

The discovery well Bozhong 22-1-2 is drilled and completed at a depth of 4,611 meters and encountered a gas reservoir about 92 meters thick.

Tests showed that the gas output of the well was around 14.2 million cubic feet per day, said a CNOOC statement.

"The discovery of Bozhong 22-1 demonstrates the good prospects of buried hills for future gas exploration of south slope in Bozhong Sag," the CNOOC statement said.

Listed in Hong Kong and New York, CNOOC Limited is the largest offshore oil and gas producer in China.