URUMQI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- A massive gas reservoir with expected reserves of over 100 billion cubic meters was found in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, according to PetroChina's local branch.

A preliminary probe indicates the reservoir, covering an area of 156 million square meters beneath the middle of the southern rim of the Junggar Basin, contains 109 billion cubic meters of gas, said Huo Jin, general manager of PetroChina's Xinjiang branch, on Friday.

It is expected to be capable of producing 610,000 cubic meters of natural gas and 106.3 cubic meters of crude oil per day, according to Huo.

"The discovery marks a major breakthrough in gas exploration in the southern rim of the Junggar Basin, which will further guarantee the gas supply of our company and contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region," he said.