China's crude oil production in 2025 averaged 4.34 million barrels per day (bpd), a 1.5% increase from the previous year. Total annual output reached 216.05 million tonnes, or 1.58 billion barrels. This steady growth aligns with the national Seven-Year Action Plan launched in 2019, which aims to boost domestic oil and gas reserves and production. To achieve this, national oil companies have intensified exploration and production activities and accelerated shale oil development to counter declines from mature fields.

Monthly Production and Refining Activity

In December 2025, crude oil production was 17.8 million tonnes, a slight 0.96% increase from November but a 0.6% decrease compared to December 2024. Meanwhile, refining activity, measured as crude runs, showed significant growth. Annual crude runs for 2025 increased by 4.1% to 737.59 million tonnes (5.4 billion barrels). In December alone, crude runs rose by 5% year-on-year to 62.46 million tonnes.

Supply, Imports, and Demand

Total crude supply in China grew by approximately 3.74% in 2025. This was driven by both the rise in domestic output and a 4.4% increase in crude imports, which reached 577.73 million tonnes (11.6 million bpd). Analyst notes indicate that strategic stockpiling played a key role in supporting higher import levels, with overall supply continuing to outpace refinery throughput. The growth in crude runs signals strong underlying demand, which was met more by increased imports than by the slower-paced growth in domestic production.

Natural Gas Production and Long-Term Outlook

Natural gas production also rose substantially in 2025, reaching 261.9 billion cubic metres (Bcm), a 6.2% increase from 2024. Production in December 2025 was 23 Bcm, up about 5% from the same month a year earlier. Looking ahead, a forecast suggests China's total energy demand is expected to peak at 5 billion tonnes of oil equivalent by 2035.