Chinese oil and gas producer PetroChina pumped 4.27 billion cubic meters (Bcm) of shale gas in the southwestern province of Sichuan in 2018, up 40% from 2017, parent company CNPC said on its website Jan. 7.

PetroChina’s shale gas output compared to about 6 Bcm pumped by Sinopec Corp. last year. Sinopec is the country’s leading shale gas player developing its flagship Fuling Field in southwest China’s Chongqing region, also in the Sichuan Basin.

PetroChina also racked up record daily sales of natural gas, including mostly conventional gas supplies, at 703 million cubic meters (MMcm) on Dec. 29, 2018, when residential heating demand surged amid massive temperature drops during winter, CNPC said on its website.

Gas supplies out of PetroChina’s storage also hit a record 78.07 MMcm on the same day.