CNPC Daqing Oilfield 2009 crude output down 0.5 pct

 The CNPC Daqing Oilfield, China's largest oilfield by output, produced 40 million metric tons (tonnes) of crude oil in 2009, edging down 0.5 percent from 40.2 million tonnes in 2008.

The oilfield's natural gas output in 2009 reached 3 billion cubic meters, up 7.43 percent year on year.

The aging Daqing oilfield has been suffering from the sluggish growth of its crude oil output in recent years. Its target for the coming decades will be to maintain an annual oil and gas output of 50 million tonnes of oil equivalent.

China's crude oil output in January-November of 2009 was 173.602 million tonnes, fallen 0.5 percent below the same period of last year. Its dependence on crude oil imports this year is expected to exceed 50 percent for the first time.