Sinopec boosts gas storage units

Capacity growth part of country's efforts to avoid repeat of winter supply shortages

State-owned China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, is building natural gas storage facilities with a total capacity of 55.6 billion cubic meters in central Henan province, in an effort to avoid gas shortages such as those seen during cold snaps last winter.

The gas storage cluster, which will comprise 16 facilities, will take advantage of disused oil and gas fields in the region, including Zhongyuan Oilfield, which has entered its final stage after more than 40 years of exploration, the company said.