CHINA MARKS PROGRESS IN NORTHWEST

Beijing's push to focus on petroleum resources in remote Northwest China continues to pay off. The first trainload of crude has been transported from Northwest China's Turpan-Hami basin, marking a new stage of development for that area, Xinhua News Agency reported. Exploration of the remote 48,000 sq km basin in Xinjiang Uygyr autonomous region has been in progress for 4 years. Three oil fields have been discovered, at Yilahu, Qiuling, and Shanshan. Reserves in the basin are pegged at

Dec. 2, 1991

Beijing's push to focus on petroleum resources in remote Northwest China continues to pay off.

The first trainload of crude has been transported from Northwest China's Turpan-Hami basin, marking a new stage of development for that area, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Exploration of the remote 48,000 sq km basin in Xinjiang Uygyr autonomous region has been in progress for 4 years. Three oil fields have been discovered, at Yilahu, Qiuling, and Shanshan.

Reserves in the basin are pegged at about 700 million bbl (OGJ, July 29, p. 26).

The government included development of Shanshan oil field in its economic plan earlier this year. Productive capacity there is pegged at about 10,000 b/d. Xinhua said production this year from Shanshan field will be about 4,000 b/d.

Meantime, another hefty producer has been completed in the Tarim basin, also in Xinjiang Uygyr autonomous region.

The 59 Lunnan well flowed about 8,400 b/d of oil and 41.7 MMcfd of gas from an undisclosed Carboniferous reservoir.

The well was tested Nov. 19, immediately after drilling was completed, Xinhua reported.