URUMQI - The Tarim Oilfield in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has sent more than 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas to eastern China over the past 13 years.

The oil field's annual gas output to eastern China grew from 351 million cubic meters in 2004 to more than 21.1 billion cubic meters in 2017, benefiting 400 million people and 3,000 enterprises in more than 120 cities, according to the Tarim Oilfield company.

As one of China's largest natural gas producers, the Tarim field has been a key provider for a 4,000-km pipeline project bringing natural gas from the west to the east.

The use of natural gas, replacing coal, has cut emissions of harmful substances such as sulfur dioxide by nearly 180 million tons.