China is set to push ahead with shale oil developments that officials hope can offset production decline from mature fields and sustain an annual crude throughput target of 200 million tonnes (1.47 billion barrels) per annum.

The country has set up three pilot projects in the northeast, east and northwest, aiming to boost shale oil output to 47.8 million barrels per annum by 2025, up from 22 million barrels last year.

Shale oil exploration and development is led by PetroChina and Sinopec, with the former saying that shale oil represented 70% of its crude production increment last year.