Published by: THE WORLD UYGHUR NETWORK NEWS December 26, 1997

Nov 16 1997, Eastern Turkistan Information Center

[ETIC, 11/16/1997] It was reported by the Urumchi Evening News newspaper, that Xinjiang Petroleum Company (XPC) announced discovery of a new oil field in the Jungar Basin of Eastern Turkistan. The field is located at the center of the Kurbantonggut desert about 150 km (95 miles) from city Karamay, and is estimated to contain about 100 million tons of oil. Between March 1996 and July 1997, XPC drilled 4 wells in this region, and each well produced a high quantity oil. The new oil field was named North Western.