OREANDA-NEWS. July 04, 2011. China's apparent consumption of natural gas, including natural gas (gasours) and liquefied natural gas(LNG), increased by 2.7% on monthly to 10,421.6-mil cu m in May’2011, up by 22.7% on yearly, due to increased consumption by the electricity sector, according to SZ Energy survey.

The "apparent consumption" represents the sum of net imports and output. In the meanwhile, the apparent consumption in Jan-May’2011 was 52,482.6-mil cu m, 18.0% higher versus in Jan-May’2010. Figures released by China's General Administration of Customs indicated a 132.1% strong gains in net gas imports in May’2011 compared with a year ago at 6,839.6-kmt ( or around 9,393.6-mil cu m). 

In May, China's imports of natural gas surged 127% year on year to 1,888.7kmt or (2.6-bil cu m), including 920.7kmt or 1.28-bil cu m of natural gas (gaseous) from Central Asia and 967.9kmt or 1.32-bil cu m of liquefied natural gas. Chinese importers were active in buying May LNG cargoes amid bullish sentiment in domestic market. 

China's natural gas (gaseous) exports for May’2011 went down 21.6% on yearly to 175.9kmt or 245.3-mil cu m, the data showed. 

Entering June, natural gas demand in continues staying in a relatively low season. On the other hand, however, growth of natural gas consumption is remaining high with support of increasing gas supplies. Incremental natural gas consumption growth in continues being mainly driven by availability of more gas supplies from both domestic field outputs and gas import, and is not much affected by seemingly slowing down economic growth. Meanwhile, electric power supply shortage recently emerged throughout the country has not evidently propped up extra natural gas utilization for power generation, as gas supply quotas allocated to gas-fired power plants remained limited.

During the period from January to May, 's natural gas imports nearly doubled to 10.73-bil cu m, accounting for more than one fourth of 's total consumption. 

*SZ Energy calculates China's apparent or apparent natural gas consumption on the basis of crude throughput volumes at the domestic natural gas production and net gas imports, as reported by the National Bureau of Statistics and Chinese customs. 

China government releases data on imports, exports, and domestic natural gas production data, but does not give official data on China's actual natural gas consumption figure and natural gas stockpiles. 

SZ Energy releases its monthly calculation of China's apparent demand between the 24th and 30th of every month via press release and via its website.