Daqing oil field is located in the Songliao Basin, a large sedimentary basin that is in the tectonic framework of the North China-Mongolia tract. During its 1960 construction during the
Great Leap Forward, Oil Minister
Yu Qiuli mobilized workers building the Daqing oil field through ideological motivation instead of material incentives, focusing enthusiasm, energy, and resources to complete a rapid industrialization project. Daqing oil field was a secret until 1964. China repaid these loans with oil. Daqing Oilfield Company Limited, based in
Daqing, is the operator of exploration and development of Daqing Oilfield. From 2004, the company plans to cut its crude oil output by an annual 7% for the next seven years to extend the life of Daqing. Output of
barrels of oil equivalent of the Daqing Field remained stable at over 40 million tons in 2012, while output at
Changqing oil field was over 42 million tons, making it the most productive oil and gas field in China. Crude output from the ageing Daqing oilfield is in decline even though the CNPC deployed some non-traditional drilling techniques. In 2019, output fell to 30.9 million tonnes from 32 million tonnes in 2018. At its peak in 2008, output stood at 40 million tonnes a year. The production was 30 million tonnes in 2021. A new shale oil field was discovered in Daqing Oilfield in 2021, with an estimated geological reserve of 1.268 billion tons. == Ideological significance ==