The super-chilled fuel will be sourced from the French company's global portfolio and supplied into Guanghui's regasification terminal in Qidong in East China, Total said in a press release.

Total didn't say when the supply will commence.

In a separate statement, the Chinese firm said the new gas purchases will serve a growing gas market in Jiangsu province, where demand for the cleaner-burning fuel is forecast to reach 35 billion cubic metres in 2020.

The deal was signed between Total and Guanghui International Gas Trading Co Ltd, a unit of Guanghui Energy.

Guanghui's receiving terminal will eventually have annual handling capacity of 3 million tonnes, the firm said, without giving a timeline.

Guanghui started operating a 600,000 tonne-per-year receiving terminal in Qidong in mid-2017.