CORRECTED - CORRECTED-China gas disruptions seen if no demand curb-radio

(Corrects the volume in last paragraph to 1 billion cubic metres, not 100 mcm; adds dropped words)

BEIJING, Nov 26 (Reuters) - China will not be able to maintain normal natural gas supplies in December and January if consumption trends go on unchecked, a state broadcaster reported on Thursday, citing a PetroChina (0857.HK) official.

The country is in the middle of a severe gas shortage as production has failed to keep up with demand, partly due to cheap gas prices. [ID:nSP444918]

Supplies to industries including gas-fired power plants, chemical firms and refineries have been cut to meet demand from residential sector.

Gas use in northern China alone reached 66 million cubic metres (mcm) on Nov 17, already higher than the peak of 64 mcm in 2008, Fang Li, an official with PetroChina's oil and gas controlling centre, told the China National Radio.

Major chemical fertiliser plants that are fed by gas were operating at their minimum levels, and the next step would be to decide whether to shut them down completely, Fang added.

Pressure in gas pipelines had fallen to the lowest level required for minimal operations, but so far the nationwide pipeline networks were operating normally, according to a report posted on the broadcaster's website (www.cnr.cn).

PetroChina has proposed adopting a gas pricing system that would charge different prices throughout the day, to discourage consumption during peak demand hours, the Beijing News newspaper reported on Thursday.

CNPC, which controls PetroChina, sent an urgent notice to various gas fields late on Nov. 24, requesting secure gas supplies, the newspaper said.

CNPC expects gas imports from Turkmenistan to flow into the pipelines linking Shaanxi and Beijing and another linking Xinjiang to eastern Shanghai from mid-January, bringing nearly 1 billion cubic metres in supplies to China during the winter season, the report said. (Reporting by Jim Bai and Tom Miles; Editing by Ken Wills) ((Email: jim.bai@thomsonreuters.com; Reuters Messaging: jim.bai.reuters.com@reuters.net; + 86 10 6627 1271)) ((If you have a query or comment on this story, send an email to news.feedback.asia@thomsonreuters.com))