Agency ensuring natural gas supply

China's top economic planning agency has coordinated with major natural gas suppliers to secure adequate supplies and stabilize prices to cope with rising demand in northern China.

Companies should keep natural gas prices stable and ensure adequate supplies, the National Development and Reform Commission said. Demand surged in northern China as gas replaced coal for heating to fight pollution.

High demand has caused sharp growth in liquefied natural gas consumption, reaching 167.6 billion cubic meters from January to September, up 16.6 percent year-on-year, the NDRC said. Consumption is expected to reach 230 billion cubic meters this year with 20 billion cubic meters coming from the transition, said Xu Bo, a senior analyst with China National Petroleum Corp's Economics and Technology Research Institute.