(Corrects final bullet to show Qatar was the world's biggest LNG exporter, not the top gas exporter.)
SINGAPORE, Jan 17 (Reuters) -
* Top Chinese energy group CNPC said on Thursday its global oil and gas trading unit recorded 12.7 percent growth in pre-tax profit last year from 2017, and its annual turnover hit 480 million tonnes
* In 2018, CNPC's trading unit Chinaoil imported 94.17 million tonnes of crude oil, or about 1.88 million barrels per day, accounting for 20 percent of China's total crude oil imports last year, CNPC stated on its website
* The state energy giant did not provide any profit figures, year-on-year comparison for crude import volumes or its annual trade turnover
* In refined fuel trade, CNPC exported 15.89 million tonnes in 2018, up 14.5 percent from 2017, breaking into Canadian gasoline market for the first time and also won a tender to supply jet fuel to Australia under a term contract, the group said
* Natural gas imports in 2018 surged by 28 percent to 72.9 billion cubic metres. CNPC signed supply agreements, including a five-year purchase deal with Kazakhstan, new import deals with U.S. exporter Cheniere Energy Inc LNG.A and Qatar - the world's top exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) until last year.