The gas-distributing and compressing station of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline in Heihe, the first stop after the Russia-supplied natural gas enters China, Northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, November 19, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua) 

BEIJING (Xinhua) -- China's natural gas output reached 173.3 billion cubic meters in 2019, according to the national energy work conference held in Beijing on Monday.

The country's annual output has increased by over 10 billion cubic meters for three consecutive years, the source said.

China's newly proven reserves of natural gas in 2019 reached 1.4 trillion cubic meters, up 68 percent year on year.

In 2020, China will promote gas exploration, strengthen the construction of systems for the production, supply, storage and marketing of natural gas, and improve oil recovery and other key technological innovations, said the conference.