China is encouraging foreign firms to explore for and produce oil and gas within its borders,and several U.S.independents have responded to the call.

摘要

China is an ancient country at the foot of its industrial age.It is in the midst of a dynamic,rapid modernization-its overall economy grew 9.5% and industrial production grew 16% in first-quarter 2005,according to Bloomberg LP.Today,the People's Republic of China is the world's second-largest consumer of oil,behind the U.S.Last .year,China's oil demand reached 6.4 million barrels per day,a startling* 15.4% jump from 2003.This year,its demand may reach 6.8 million barrels a day,up 7.9% from 2004,forecasts the International Energy Agency(IEA).