URUMQI - Gold production in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region reached a record-high volume of 12.1 tons in 2011.

Figures released by the Gold Administration Bureau of Xinjiang on Tuesday showed that last year's output increased by 15.18 percent from that of 2010.

As a major gold production area of the world's largest gold producer, Xinjiang has seen eight consecutive years of boosting gold production. It is expected that, in 2012, Xinjiang will produce about 14 tons of gold, also an increase of over fifteen percent.

Xinjiang has become the priority investment choice for China's domestic large gold enterprises. In 2011, Xinjiang had six gold enterprises with an annual production of over 500 kg and 20 with over 100 kg.

Xinjiang has 28 metallogenic gold mine belts and over 600 gold mine sites. The province's predicted gold resource amount is 207.48 tons.

China's gold consumption in 2011 reached 761.05 tons, representing a year-on-year rise of 33 percent, according to the latest data released by the China Gold Association. In 2010 its gold output reached 340.876 tons.