The China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has reported the discovery in the first half year of oil reserves of about 260 million tons in four oil-rich blocks in northern China.

 

The four blocks are located in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, near the Daqing Oilfield, one of the country's major oilfields in Heilongjiang.

 

Two blocks, one holding about 73 million tons and the other 60 million tons, were found in the Mongolian Autonomous County of Dorbod in Heilongjiang, 96 million tons in a block at Zhaoyuan County in Heilongjiang, and 30 million tons in the Hailaer Basin in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

 

Oil reserves discovered in China from 2000 to 2005 reached 2.42 billion tons. CNPC has invested 59.6 billion yuan (US$7.36 billion) in verifying 1.48 billion tons of oil reserve over that period.

 

(Xinhua News Agency August 22, 2006)