17:07:09

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) produced 51.04 million tonnes, or 2.06 million barrels per day, of crude in the first half of this year and processed 58.76 million tonnes during the same period.

Crude output at overseas wells it operated totaled 31.39 million tonnes and gas production 3.9 billion cubic metres, Xinhua news agency reported, citing Jiang Jiemin, CNPC's general manager and chairman of listed PetroChina, which operates CNPC's core businesses.

The man at the helm of affairs at China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Jiang was quoted as saying in a separate Xinhua report that Chinese oil companies and consumers were increasingly affected by the international oil futures market, which China has little control over despite half of domestic oil demand being met by imports.

CNPC will build three oil and gas operational centres in Asia, Europe and America, respectively, to develop resources and expand trade volumes and gradually improve its influence in the international oil market, Jiang told a company conference on 16 July.

CNPC aims to double its oil and gas output to 400 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 8-10 years and raise oil and gas production in overseas fields it operates to half that level.