Sino-Turkmen gas pipeline annual capacity hits 9 bln cubic meters
Shanghai. September 16. INTERFAX-CHINA - The annual transmission capacity of the Sino-Turkmenistan natural gas pipeline reached 9 billion cubic meters as of Sept. 15, China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), the operator of the pipeline's domestic portion, announced on Sept. 16.
CNPC also said that it hopes to further boost the pipeline's transmission capacity to 15 billion cubic meters by the end of this year and to 30 billion cubic meters by the end of 2011.
The 1,833 kilometer-long pipeline originates at the border between Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, travels through Kazakhstan and ends in China's western Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, CNPC said. The project went into operation in December 2009.
Within China's borders, the pipeline will be connected to the 4,500 km-long 2nd West-East Pipeline, which supplies gas to 400 million consumers in 14 provinces and autonomous regions.
China and Turkmenistan signed a 30-year natural gas deal for the pipeline in June 2009.
-WV