China's largest natural gas production base, Changqing oilfield, produced over 17.7 billion cubic meters of record-high natural gas during this winter heating season, statistics as of March 15 showed.

The oilfield provides natural gas for civil uses of nearly 400 million people in over 40 cities, including Beijing and Tianjin. For four consecutive years, its daily gas output during winter peak supply has maintained an increase of 10 million cubic meters.

During the latest heating season, Changqing oilfield also offered sufficient natural gas supplies to the Olympic Villages in the three competition areas of the Beijing Winter Olympics as well as relevant hotels.

Located in northwest China's Erdos basin, the oilfield produced more than 46.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas last year, accounting for 23 percent of the country's total. 

With more than 50 years of history, Changqing oilfield has played an important role in safeguarding the country's energy security.

Over the past 25 years, the oilfield has supplied more than 520 billion cubic meters of natural gas, equivalent to the total calorific value of power generated by the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Power Station on China's Yangtze River in 40 years.

It is also contributing to China's ongoing efforts to replace coal with clean energy sources such as natural gas as the nation has promised to peak carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

(with input from Xinhua)