China has recorded a 2.9% rise in oil production in 2022 as it seeks to reduce oil imports and move towards energy sovereignty, industry statistics showed.

According to the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, the country produced 205 million tonnes of crude oil during the reporting period, marking the fourth consecutive year of boom.

Natural gas production was 217.7 billion cubic metres, up 6.4% over the year, while imports and exports of petrochemicals increased by 21.7 points.

In recent years, China has discovered and developed huge oil and natural gas reserves, both onshore and offshore, which contribute to national energy security and the economies of nearby regions.

The Tarim deposit, located in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, is both the largest and one of the most difficult to explore due to the harsh coastal landscape and difficult underground conditions.

It accounts for a sixth of the country's gas production and the fuel produced annually benefits 400 million people in more than 120 cities and more than three thousand companies, as reported by Prensa Latina, a partner of TV BRICS.

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