(Yicai Global) Dec. 29 -- Turkmenistan, a major natural gas exporter country, has increased its gas export volume to China by one third, which is expected to ease energy shortage issue affecting parts of northern China this winter. 

Turkmenistan has increased its gas export volume to China to 100 million cubic meters per day from 70 million cubic meters previously, online financial news outlet Caijing.com reported yesterday. The decision follows a meeting on the issue between the representatives of China's state-owned energy giant China National Petroleum Corporation and their Turkmen counterparts.

The reduction in Central Asian gas supplies to China this winter has caused a national gas shortage in the country. The normal natural gas supply volume from Central Asia to China is about 130 million cubic meters per day, which dropped to less than 100 million cubic meters following the recent supply cuts, said insiders from CNPC.

At the end of last month, the northern Hebei province, which had the worst gas shortage in the country, issued an orange warning about the energy shortage. An orange warning indicates that the supply gap exceeded 10 percent of the demand, corresponding to around 10 million cubic meters shortage per day. The province has not yet lifted the warning.

Once the gas supply from Central Asia is increased, it can be transported to China within a day, but the specific domestic allocation plan needs to be arranged in line with provincial demands, said a CNPC expert.