The first spot cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) bought by PetroChina (0857.HK) arrived at Shanghai on Saturday, part of a plan to increase supply to ease domestic gas shortages in the winter.
The 65,000 tonnes of LNG was carried by a Russian LNG carrier, the China Petroleum Daily reported on Monday.
The newspaper is run by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), PetroChina's parent.
The report did not specify if the cargo was sourced from Russia's Sakhalin LNG project.
The cargo, around 90 million cubic metres after regasification, will be pumped into gas networks in Shanghai, the report said.
PetroChina thus will be able to divert an equivalent amount of gas via its flagship west-to-east gas pipeline to other regions.
PetroChina will incur a loss of more than 60 million yuan ($8.79 million) on the imported gas as it is priced higher than the state-set price at which the top Chinese gas firm supplies Shanghai, the report added.
China's energy chief Zhang Guobao said in November that PetroChina would import some 700 million cubic metres or more gas, or nearly 10 normal-sized LNG cargos, via the Shanghai terminal to ease domestic gas shortages in winter.
The Shanghai terminal is jointly operated by CNOOC, China's leading LNG terminal developer, and Shanghai Shenergy Group.
