UPDATE 1-China energy intensity fell 4.59 pct in 2008

BEIJING, Feb 26 - China's energy use in generating each dollar of gross domestic product fell 4.59 percent in 2008, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

The decline was greater than a previously reported drop of 4.2 percent, suggesting Beijing may be getting a little closer, at least numerically, to its energy-saving target.

China set a goal of cutting energy intensity -- the amount of fuel needed to generate each dollar of national income -- by 20 percent in the five years through 2010.

It abandoned a yearly reduction target of 4 percent after falling short in the initial years, but the government has not officially abandoned its 20 percent goal.

China had revised its 2007 figure to 3.66 percent from the originally reported reduction estimate of 3.27 percent, and its 2006 cut was revised to 1.79 percent from 1.33 percent.

The bureau also said China's energy consumption increased 4 percent to 2.85 billion tonnes of coal equivalent for 2008.

Of the total, coal consumption increased 3 percent to 2.74 billion tonnes, crude oil rose 5.1 percent to 360 million tonnes, natural gas up 10.1 percent to 80.7 billion cubic metres.

Power consumption gained 5.6 percent to 3450.2 billion kilowatt hours, it said in the report on its website (www.stats.gov.cn).

Separately, it said China discovered 1.34 billion tonnes of proven oil reserves and 647.2 billion cubic metres of natural gas in 2008.

The world's second-largest energy user also found 23.11 billion tonnes of proven coal deposits last year.