China's annual consumption of natural gas will reach 100 billion cubic meters during the country's 11th Five-Year Plan period (2006-2010), the China Securities Journal reported on Friday.

Currently, China's annual consumption of natural gas stands at 40 billion cubic meters, making up only three percent of the country's total demand for energy.

The proportion will increase to 6-8 percent in the next five years, the report said, quoting a source from the National Development and Reform Commission.

China's demand for natural gas is expected to come to 200 billion cubic meters by the year 2020, with half of the supply coming from overseas.

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplied by Southeast Asian countries, Australia and the Middle East will account for one-third of the country's total consumption.

In the first half of this year, both the national output and consumption of natural gas increased by nearly 20 percent.

So far, the China National Petrochemical Corp., China National Petrochemical Corp. and China National Offshore Oil Company Ltd are the country's three major natural gas suppliers.

(Xinhua News Agency July 30, 2005)