KUERLE, Xinjiang - China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) on Tuesday started work on two projects in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, in line with the central government's plan to boost development of the region.

The total investment planned for the two projects is 9.1 billion yuan and will help the energy-rich region better use its natural gas resources.

CNPC, the country's largest oil and gas producer, started work on a 2.9-billion-yuan fertilizer project in Korla city in Xinjiang on Tuesday. It will use the natural gas from the Tarim Basin to produce fertilizer.