Pipeline starts transporting central Asian gas into Xinjiang

Jan 06, 2010 01:00 AM

The western section of China's No 2 West-East gas pipeline recently began operations.
The 8,653 km pipeline, which runs from Xinjiang's Horgos through 14 provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities and special administrative regions, including Shanghai and Hong Kong, now can transmit natural gas from central Asia to Xinjiang.

Mr Zhang Guobao director of China's Energy Bureau under the National Development and Reform Commission said that China will build more natural gas storage facilities this year to ensure sufficient gas supply all year.
Official statistics show that China's natural gas output grew 11.6 % y-o-y to 7.86 bn cm in November 2009 as compared with the record high of 7.84 bn cm in June 2008. However, the country's gas demand also surged in November due to low temperatures and the recovering economy, especially in the eastern, south-western and north-western regions.