Zhou Yongkang, of the Han ethnic group, was born in December 1942. A native of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, Zhou was a graduate from the Prospecting Department of the Beijing Petroleum College and has acquired an academic title of senior engineer.
From 1961 to 1966, Zhou studied in the Prospecting Department of the Beijing Petroleum College. From 1967 to 1976, he worked with the geological prospecting team of No.673 Plant of the Daqing Oilfield, and the geological prospecting regiment under the Liaohe Oilfield Campaign Headquarters. From 1976 to 1985, he worked as director of the Geophysical Prospecting Division of the Liaohe Petroleum Prospecting Bureau, deputy director of the Political Department, deputy director and director of the bureau, deputy secretary of the Liaohe Petroleum Prospecting Bureau Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), mayor of Panjin, Liaoning Province, and deputy secretary of the CPC Panjin Municipal Committee. From 1985 to 1988, he was vice-minister of the petroleum industry and member of the leading Party group of the ministry. From 1988 to 1996, he acted as deputy general manager of the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) and deputy secretary of CNPC抯 leading Party group while concurrently holding the posts of head of the Tarim Oilfield Campaign Headquarters and secretary of its Working Committee, director of the Shengli Petroleum Administrative Bureau and secretary of the CPC Committee of the bureau, and secretary of the CPC Dongying Municipal Committee of Shandong Province. From 1996 to March 1998, he was general manager of CNPC and secretary of its leading Party group. From March 1998 to January 2000, he served as minister of land and resources and secretary of the ministry抯 leading Party group. He was appointed secretary of the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee. Zhou was alternate member of the 14th CPC Central Committee and is member of the 15th CPC Central Committee.
| 
