Vast oil deposits discovered in Xinjiang

URUMQI: The Tarim oilfield branch of PetroChina, China’s largest oil and gas producer, said they recently discovered a very huge gas field with an estimated reserve of 115.3 billion cubic meters ( m3) in Xinjiang’s Tarim Basin.

Tian Jun, the company’s vice general manager, said they completed a successful test of a well in the gas field, with a daily output of 418,200 m3 of natural gas and 115.15 m3 of gas condensate.

The gas field had been estimated to contain 115.3 billion m3 of natural gas and 21.66 million tons of gas condensate, Tian said, adding that the field is expected to start production in November.

The Tarim oilfield provides natural gas to a total of 15 provincial-level regions in northern and eastern China via the country’s west-to-east gas pipelines.

Uygur Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region in northwestern China.

Being the largest provincelevel division of China and the eighth largest country subdivision in the world, Xinjiang spans over 1.6 million square kilometers (640,000 square miles).

A small part of Xinjiang is claimed by India, referring to it as “Aksai Chin.” Xinjiang borders the countries of Mongolia ( Bayan- Ölgii, Khovd and Govi- Altai Provinces), Russia ( Altai Republic), Kazakhstan ( East Kazakhstan and Almaty Provinces), Kyrgyzstan ( Issyk Kul, Naryn and Osh Regions), Tajikistan ( Gorno- Badakhshan Autonomous Region), Afghanistan ( Badakhshan Province), Pakistan ( Gilgit Baltistan), and India ( Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir).

The rugged Karakoram, Kunlun and Tian Shan mountain ranges occupy much of Xinjiang’s borders, as well as its western and southern regions.

Xinjiang also borders the Tibet Autonomous Region and the provinces of Gansu and Qinghai. The most well-known route of the historical Silk Road ran through the territory from the east to its northwestern border.

In recent decades, abundant oil and mineral reserves have been found in Xinjiang and it is currently China’s largest naturalgas-producing region.