An international conference on the natural gas industry opened on November 9 in Beijing.

The conference comes at a crucial time, when China is restructuring its energy industries and formulating a long-term energy strategy, insiders said.

The current condition, prospect and long-term plans for natural gas industries in China and worldwide top the agenda of the two-day event. The conference, co-sponsored by the State Development Planning Commission, the State Petrochemical Industry Bureau and the International Energy Agency (IEA), will hear from more than 120 experts, officials and entrepreneurs from home and abroad.

They began discussions yesterday in many fields of the industry, including market development, financing and technical investment in gas projects, regulatory frameworks and environmental protection.

"The conference plays an important role in strengthening exchanges and co-operation in the industry between China and foreign countries," Zhang Guobao, vice-minister of the commission, said at the opening ceremony.

According to Li Yongwu, director of the bureau, China's natural gas industry will enjoy a vast market in the 21st century. Natural gas output in China is expected to reach 25 billion cubic metres in 2000, he said.

At present, natural gas accounts for about 2 per cent of the total energy consumption in China, which is the second largest energy consumer in the world, he said.

"The first decade of the new century is likely to see a dramatic rise in the level of natural gas consumption in China and a proliferation in the sources of this gas," William Ramsay, deputy director of the IEA, said.

IEA, a 24-nation global organization, is committed to expanding technical contacts and engaging in high-level dialogue with those responsible for China's energy policy.