DAQING, China -- Concern over the future is palpable in this major Chinese oil-producing region as its backbone industry continues to scale down amid the prolonged global petroleum slump.

Standing quietly like tombstones, idle rigs dotted the area known as the Daqing oil field in mid-March. Many were pumping day after day until around a year ago, propping up the economy of this area in the northeastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang. And as more of the rigs fall idle, locals grow increasingly nervous.

Boom to bust

"They will all be taken down shortly," a 39-year-old resident said, pointing at stationary oil rigs. Of the tens of thousands of rigs in areas around the city of Daqing, nearly half are not pumping today.

"Everything has started going bad since Uncle Xi [Jinping] came here," the man whispered.

The Chinese president visited the northeast last July. In a meeting with senior Heilongjiang officials, Xi declared it a waste of electricity to operate so many rigs. Petroleum demand was dwindling on the slowing economy, and global oil prices were continuing to fall, he pointed out.

Change swept through the city soon after his visit, with rigs suddenly shut down one after another and wells closed. The Daqing oil field produced 38.38 million tons in 2015, down 30% from its peak. Revenue at a major well operator fell by half from a year earlier to 96.4 billion yuan ($14.9 billion), walloping earnings at parent company PetroChina.

Ripple effect

Slashing oil production has a huge impact on the local economy, since the industry generates 60% of the city's gross domestic product. About 10% of Daqing's 2.7 million residents are employed by the oil field operator. When members of their families and others working in oil-related businesses are included, around half of the people in the city rely on the industry for their livelihood.

Daqing could lose tens of thousands of oil field jobs in the coming months as the industry downturn continues.

"Around this time last year, we were selling 80 to 90 cars a month, but we now sell about half" as much, said a sales representative at a dealership offering vehicles from a Nissan Motor joint venture. Some people with money from oil-related jobs used to come in to make cash purchases. But customer traffic has dropped markedly since last summer, according to the salesperson.

More than 40 cabdrivers rallied at the municipal building in mid-March, demanding that the government protect their livelihoods. Taxi use has plunged as the city's economy has slowed. The protest heated up to the point that armed police were called in.

At a Starbucks in one of the city's biggest shopping malls, employees field complaints daily not about the coffee or service, but about price. Customers gripe that 22 yuan ($3.40) is too much to pay for a cup in the tough economic climate.

Sleepless in Daqing

The city has tried to create jobs outside the oil industry. Swedish luxury vehicle builder Volvo Car began full-scale operations at a passenger car plant here around 18 months ago, manufacturing models including a popular sport utility vehicle. Active efforts to court autoparts makers have created just 1,000 or so jobs.

Half of the city's residents have sleeping difficulties due to job-related stress, according to the Daqing Evening News. And with rumors of a planned layoff this summer of about 50,000 at the Daqing oil field, their anxiety is heightened even more.

"Just three more years until I can retire," a veteran rig worker sighed.

The 52-year-old has worked day or night, often living in a temporary prefab building, but is now uncertain whether his labors will be rewarded as he approaches retirement. Only about half of the area's petrochemical plants are operating today, judging by their chimney smoke.

"I have managed to hold on to the job for 30 years, but ..." said the man, who was fixing an oil rig in the freezing cold, with a hint of resignation on his face.