China’s Oil Production and Refining: A Look Back at 2025

China retained its position as the world’s fourth largest natural gas producer in 2025, with output reaching 264.1 billion cubic meters. The country’s domestic oil and gas production continues to grow, partly offsetting a stabilization in import volumes.

The ongoing shift of China’s vehicle fleet toward electric and hybrid models continues to shape demand for refined products. Electric and hybrid vehicles remain a large share of domestic sales, which is keeping a lid on gasoline demand growth. Support for oil demand in the country is increasingly tied to the expansion of the petrochemical sector.

At the same time, pipeline gas capacity from Russia continues to grow, which could partly reduce China’s need for LNG purchases on the spot and long term markets. Analysts continue to watch how these trends will affect the global balance of energy supply and demand.