China's Sinopec finds huge natural gas field -paper

SHANGHAI Oct 27 (Reuters) - Sinopec Group, the parent of the top Asian refiner Sinopec Corp (0386.HK)(600028.SS) discovered a huge natural gas field near the southwestern Chinese city of Chongqing, the official Shanghai Securities News said on Tuesday.

The gas field was initially estimated to hold reserves of more than 120 billion cubic meters of natural gas, the newspaper said, citing an unnamed Sinopec official.

The newspaper also cited a local media report as saying that the newly located gas field could be Asia's largest. It was discovered when a unit of Sinopec Group was exploring an area of 340 square kilometres around Chongqing city.

Most of Sinopec's gas fields are located in the southwestern province of Sichuan, near Chongqing. (Reporting by Alfred Cang and Edmund Klamann; editing by Ken Wills)