HANGZHOU, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Ningbo Zhoushan port, China's busiest port in the eastern province of Zhejiang, reported its oil and gas throughput exceeding 100 million tonnes in the first ten months of the year, marking the first time it reached this volume, local authorities said.

During the period, the port saw a gross throughput of about 105.5 million tonnes in its oil and gas sector, up by 50 percent year on year. Currently, oil and gas have become the major types of goods with the fastest growth rate and the most stable increment at the port, serving as the main driving engine for the port's economic capacity, according to the Zhoushan port navigation and administration bureau.

A total of 569 visits by international oil vessels were recorded at the port, 147 more than that in the same period last year. The volume of oil and gas that arrived at the port amounted to 55.7 million tonnes, an increase of 41.7 percent year on year.

In October, the port signed oil and gas projects totaling 165.6 billion yuan (about 23.89 billion U.S. dollars) during the Second International Petroleum and Natural Gas Enterprises Conference, aiming to accelerate the industry in the Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone.

The Zhejiang Pilot Free Trade Zone in Zhoushan has been seeking cooperation with global oil and gas enterprises since its establishment in April 2017.