The past year could arguably be labeled as “China’s year that wasn’t”. The Year of the Dragon, while considered the luckiest of the Chinese zodiac, did not herald particularly auspicious tidings. Instead, China was saddled with a slowing economy, political scandals that rocked the country and territorial squabbles with its neighbors in the South China Sea.

In the energy sphere, widespread speculation about major overhauls to oil and gas pricing did not materialize, nor was progress made on gas pipeline sales from Russia. Monthly measurements of apparent oil demand contracted for the first time last year — in June and August — but then skyrocketed to record volumes at the end of the year.

Here’s what every China observer should have on their list to watch for in 2013.

via China’s oil and natural gas sectors ready to roar in 2013 « The Barrel Blog.