BEIJING — China's crude oil output increased 2.4 percent year-on-year to 16.1 million metric tons in September, accelerating from an increase of 2.3 percent in August, official data showed.

During the period, China processed about 57.35 million tons of crude oil, up 1.3 percent year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

In the first nine months, China's crude oil output gained 1.7 percent year-on-year to hit 146.25 million tons, and the country processed 500 million tons of crude oil, up 2.9 percent from a year ago.

In September, China imported 48.48 million tons of crude oil, surging 17.6 percent year-on-year.