BEIJING - China produced 8.8 billion cubic meters of natural gas in October, up 7.3 percent year-on-year, latest data on Sunday showed.

According to the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner, apparent consumption of natural gas rose 12.7 percent from the previous year to reach 12.4 billion cubic meters last month.

China, one of the world's top energy users, imported 3.9 billion cubic meters of natural gas, up 26.4 percent from the same period last year, the commission said.

During the first ten months, China's gas output climbed 6.4 percent year-on-year to 87.8 billion cubic meters. The increase was faster than the 6.2-percent expansion seen in the January-September period.

Natural gas imports surged 37.6 percent year-on-year to hit 34.4 billion cubic meters during the first ten months. The pace of growth was faster than the 35.5-percent increase reported in the January-September period, according to the commission.

Apparent consumption of natural gas jumped 14.1 percent from the previous year to 118.7 billion cubic meters during the first ten months. The growth rate was up from the 13.6-percent increase seen in the first three quarters, the commission said.