Crude production rises to 5-month high in May

China's crude oil production rose to a five-month high in May as CNOOC Ltd, the nation's largest offshore explorer, increased output. China produced 17.7 million metric tons of crude in the month, 3.8 percent higher than a year earlier, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics. That's equivalent to 4.2 million barrels a day and is the most since December, when output hit a record 17.9 million tons. CNOOC appraised six domestic offshore wells in the first quarter, three of them in the Penglai 15-2 field in Bohai Bay, Chief Financial Officer Zhong Hua said on April 26.

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