A vast gas-rich area with estimated reserves of 3,000 billion cubic meters of natural gas has been discovered in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, northwest China.

Located in southern Xinjiang's Tarim Basin, the area covering 180,000 square kilometers is expected to become China's biggest gas production base as long as its proven reserves reach 800 billion cubic meters in the coming two years, according to the Tarim Oil Field Corporation.

The company plans to form in this area an annual gas production capacity of 30 billion cubic meters by the year 2002.

It is learned that China is considering laying 4,2112 kilometers of pipelines for transporting gas from Tarim to areas around the Yangtze delta. The area in east China is the country's most populous and prosperous region covering Shanghai, and Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces.

The Tarim Basin is known as the "Sea of Hope" for China's oil and gas industry, with estimated reserves of 10.8 billion tons of crude oil and 8,400 billion cubic meters of natural gas. The Tarim Oil Field Corporation is the leading oil and gas producer in this area.