Pipeline to give major gas boost

Source: Xinhua  |   2008-12-28  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

CHINA'S southeast Guangdong Province will be powered by 10 million cubic meters of natural gas from the second West-East natural gas pipeline.

"The distributable gas is expected to be 26.1 million cubic meters per year after the operation of the pipeline and its stations consume some gas," said Zhao Zhongxun, a senior planning director of the nation's largest oil company, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), at a press conference on Friday.

"Guangdong Province will get 10 million cubic meters annually," he said. CNPC is the sole investor in the project which is expected to be completed in 2011.

Construction of the pipeline across 14 Chinese regions and to carry 30 million cubic meters of natural gas from Turkmenistan to prosperous, but energy deficient eastern and southern Chinese areas, including Shanghai and Guangdong Province, began at the start of this year.

The pipeline, the second after China's first West-East natural gas pipeline started operations in 2004, is expected to play a significant role in improving China's energy consumption mode.

The 9,102 kilometer project consists of one major line and eight sub-lines. Chen Xiangxin, vice manager of construction, said 1,594 kilometers of the pipeline's western segment had been welded by Christmas. The length exceeded the original plan by 1.5 percent.

"According to the plan, the western segment will be able to convey gas by the end of 2009 and the eastern segment can supply gas to the area north of Henan Province by 2010," said Chen.

Construction of the pipeline's eastern segment started on December 11 and 12 at four sites in the provinces of Henan, Hubei, Jiangxi and Guangdong.