CHINA Petroleum and Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) announced yesterday that its crude oil output reached 291.67 million barrels last year, up 2.27 percent from 2006.

According to unaudited figures released by Sinopec, it produced 283 billion cubic feet of natural gas in 2007, up 10.33 percent.

Sinopec processed 155.58 million tons of crude in 2007, a year-on-year increase of 6.33 percent.

Output of gasoline rose by 7.35 percent to 24.69 million tons; diesel rose 3.84 percent to 60.08 million tons; kerosene was up 31.02 percent to 8.32 million tons and light chemical feedstock rose 3.21 percent to 23.47 million tons.

Output of ethylene, synthetic resins and synthetic rubbers rose by 6.02 percent, 12.08 percent and 19.76 percent respectively, from 2006. However, output of synthetic fibers fell 5.66 percent and that of urea was down 2.73 percent.

Total domestic sales volume of refined oil products rose 6.9 percent to 119.39 million tons in 2007.

Listed in Hong Kong, New York, London and Shanghai, Sinopec is the largest oil refiner and one of the largest oil producers in China.