PetroChina, Shell Changbei Gas Project Output at Record

The Changbei natural gas project owned by PetroChina and Royal Dutch Shell in northern China produced a record 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas in 2011, Xinhua news agency reported Wednesday.

The output was a tad higher compared with the output level of 2010 when the project produced 3.48 billion cubic meters.

The joint venture, located in Shaanxi province, has produced a total of 18.33 billion cubic meters since it began operations in 2005.

The two energy companies are working together in China and last month discovered shale gas in Sichuan province.

Changbei natural-gas reserves are estimated at 96.1 billion cubic meters and the joint venture plans to produce a combined 48 billion cubic meters between 2005 and 2025.