Daqing Oilfield Makes Mammoth Contribution in 40 Years ����Oil gushing from a well on September 26, 1959 marked the birth of the Daqing oilfield. ����Over the past 40 years, the oilfield churned out a total of 1.55 billion tons of crude oil, making up 47% of china's land oil output and 70.59 billion cu m of natural gas; delivered 221.4 billion yuan to the state and local finance, 44 times the total state investment; exported 344 million tons of crude oil for US$48.2 billion. It has become the greatest oil production base in the country with an average annual sustained and stable high-yield of 50 million tons of crude oil for 24 years running. The 40 years of experience in production has resulted in a whole set of theory on continental oil geology and heterogeneous largescale malmstone oilfield geology and a series of engineering technology. ����The State Council sent a message to the oilfield to greet its great contribution to the oil industry in China. ����The message says: "The oilfield has made vital contribution to the oil industry and the development of the national economy in China. It has become a red banner on the industrial front. Its achievement over the past 40 years testifies vividly to the booming development of the cause of the modernization drive for socialist construction. It has fully proved the great vitality of the socialist system and the indispensable role played by the state enterprises and the working class in the socialist construction cause. At present it is at a crucial moment for the realization of the second strategic goal and advancing toward the third strategic goal in the modernization drive for socialist construction. The Daqing oilfield is in a vital position in the national economy development." The message expresses the hope that the oilfield may give full play to its fine tradition, unswervingly carry out in-depth reform and restructuring, beef up technological innovation, improve competitiveness in the market, ascend to a new height in the new period of historic development and make greater contribution to the cause of socialist construction.". Indepth 1999-09-26 Page1 Full Story in Chinese