Natural gas production in China grew faster in April compared to the previous months, data from the country’s statistics bureau showed. According to the data, China’s gas output rose to 16.1 billion cubic meters in April, rising by 14% year-on-year, faster than the growth rate of 12% in March, 10% in January-February, and 9.5% in the whole of 2019.
China’s natural gas imports only inched up in April compared to a year earlier. The country received 7.73 million tons of LNG and pipeline gas last month from 7.65 million tons in April last year, according to preliminary customs data. However, vessel-tracking data showed that LNG imports surged by about 30% year-on-year in April, suggesting that pipeline gas imports slowed last month.
The country’s power demand growth rebounded last month, registering an annual growth rate of around 2% following a fall in March. Electricity demand fell by about 3% year-on-year in March and by 7% in January-April, amid measures to control the coronavirus pandemic.
