China's gas imports expected to increase

China's reliance on natural gas imports will continue, accounting for more than half of the country''s total consumption, as demand surges for the fuel for both industrial and residential use. China, which is widely estimated to realize more than 9 percent growth in GDP in 2011, imported 3.1 billion cubic meters (cu m) of natural gas in November, 1.5 times higher than during the same month last year, according to figures from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). The increase in November saw the nation''s total imports of natural gas in the first 11 months of the year grow by 91.5 percent year-on-year to 28.1 billion cu m. The country produced 91.4 billion cu m of natural gas between January and November, with growth of 6 percent compared with the same period in 2010, the NDRC said. The institute''s statistics show that China imported 17 billion cu m of gas in 2010, accounting for 16 percent of the nation''s total consumption. Natural gas imports will increase greatly to account for more than 50 percent of total consumption in the future, said Li, but without providing a timeframe. (QNA) f l