West-East Gas Pipeline
Encyclopedia
The West–East Gas Pipeline is a 4000 kilometres (2,485.5 mi) long pipeline, which runs from Lunnan in Xinjiang
to Shanghai
. The pipeline passes through 66 counties in the 10 provinces in China
. Natural gas transported by the pipeline is used for electricity production in the Yangtze River Delta area. There is a plan to replace coal with gas in Shanghai by 2010.
. Originally, it was agreed that PetroChina would have owned 50% of the pipeline, while Royal Dutch Shell
, Gazprom
, and ExxonMobil
had been slated to hold 15% each, and Sinopec
5%. However, in August 2004, the Board of Directors of PetroChina announced that following good faith discussions with all parties to the Joint Venture Framework Agreement, the parties had not been able to reach an agreement, and the Joint Venture Framework Agreement was terminated.
by three branch pipelines. The 886 kilometres (550.5 mi) long Ji-Ning branch between the Qingshan Distributing Station and the Anping
Distributing Station became operational on 30 December 2005.
gas fields in Xinjiang province. The Changqing
gas area in Shaanxi
province is a secondary gas source. In the future, the planned Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline will be connected to the West–East Gas Pipeline.
Starting from 15 September 2009, the pipeline is also supplied with coalbed methane
from the Qinshui Basin in Shanxi
.
in Guangdong
. Up to Gansu
, it will be parallel and interconnected with the first west-east pipeline. The western part of the pipeline is expected to be commissioned by 2009, and the eastern part by June 2011.
The capacity of the second pipeline would be 30 bcm of natural gas per year. It will be mainly supplied by the Central Asia-China gas pipeline
. The pipeline is expected to cost US$20 billion. The project is developed by China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Corp. (CNODC), a joint venture of China National Petroleum Corporation
and PetroChina.
There are plans to build the third and fourth west-east gas pipelines. The third pipeline will run from the western Xinjiang region to Fujian province
in the southeast. The fourth pipeline will start from the Tarim Basin or from Sichuan
.
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
to Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
. The pipeline passes through 66 counties in the 10 provinces in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. Natural gas transported by the pipeline is used for electricity production in the Yangtze River Delta area. There is a plan to replace coal with gas in Shanghai by 2010.
History
The construction of the West–East Gas Pipeline started in 2002. The pipeline was put into trial operation on 1 October 2004, and the full commercial supply of natural gas commenced on 1 January 2005. The pipeline is owned and operated by PetroChina West–East Gas Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of PetroChinaPetroChina
PetroChina Company Limited is a Chinese oil company and is the listed arm of state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation , headquartered in Dongcheng District, Beijing. It is China's biggest oil producer, and was the world's most valuable company by market value as of September 28th 2010...
. Originally, it was agreed that PetroChina would have owned 50% of the pipeline, while Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, Gazprom
Gazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
, and ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
had been slated to hold 15% each, and Sinopec
Sinopec
China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Limited , or Sinopec Limited , is a majority owned subsidiary of state owned company Sinopec Group. Sinopec Limited is listed in Hong Kong and also trades in Shanghai and New York ....
5%. However, in August 2004, the Board of Directors of PetroChina announced that following good faith discussions with all parties to the Joint Venture Framework Agreement, the parties had not been able to reach an agreement, and the Joint Venture Framework Agreement was terminated.
Technical features
The capacity of the pipeline is 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas, annually. The cost of the pipeline was US$5.7 billion. By the end of 2007, the capacity was planned to be upgraded to 17 bcm. For this purpose, ten new gas compressor stations will be built and eight existing stations are to be upgraded.Connections
The West–East Gas Pipeline is connected to the Shaan-Jing pipelineShaan-Jing pipeline
The Shaan–Jing pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in China, which runs from Jingbian County to Beijing and Tianjin.-History:The construction of pipeline started in March 1996 and was completed on 10 September 1997...
by three branch pipelines. The 886 kilometres (550.5 mi) long Ji-Ning branch between the Qingshan Distributing Station and the Anping
Anping
Anping may refer to:*Anping , a historical Chinese surname*Princess Anping, the name of several princesses in Imperial China-Mainland China:*Anping County, of Hengshui, HebeiTowns----Pillar Industry: Wire Mesh----...
Distributing Station became operational on 30 December 2005.
Source of supply
The pipeline is supplied from the Tarim BasinTarim Basin
The Tarim Basin is a large endorheic basin occupying an area of about . It is located in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China's far west. Its northern boundary is the Tian Shan mountain range and its southern is the Kunlun Mountains on the northern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. The...
gas fields in Xinjiang province. The Changqing
Changqing
Changqing may refer to the following locations in China:*Changqing District , Jinan, Shandong*Changqing National Nature Reserve , in the Qinling Mountains of Shaanxi*Changqing Road Station , station of the Shanghai Metro...
gas area in Shaanxi
Shaanxi
' is a province in the central part of Mainland China, and it includes portions of the Loess Plateau on the middle reaches of the Yellow River in addition to the Qinling Mountains across the southern part of this province...
province is a secondary gas source. In the future, the planned Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline will be connected to the West–East Gas Pipeline.
Starting from 15 September 2009, the pipeline is also supplied with coalbed methane
Coalbed methane
Coalbed methane or Coal Bed Methane, coalbed gas or coal mine methane is a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds. In recent decades it has become an important source of energy in United States, Canada, and other countries...
from the Qinshui Basin in Shanxi
Shanxi
' is a province in Northern China. Its one-character abbreviation is "晋" , after the state of Jin that existed here during the Spring and Autumn Period....
.
Second, third and fourth pipelines
Construction of the second West–East Gas Pipeline started on 22 February 2008. The pipeline with a total length of 9102 kilometres (5,655.7 mi), including 4843 kilometres (3,009.3 mi) of the main line and eight sub-lines, will run from Khorgas in northwestern Xinjiang to GuangzhouGuangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
in Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. Up to Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
, it will be parallel and interconnected with the first west-east pipeline. The western part of the pipeline is expected to be commissioned by 2009, and the eastern part by June 2011.
The capacity of the second pipeline would be 30 bcm of natural gas per year. It will be mainly supplied by the Central Asia-China gas pipeline
Central Asia-China gas pipeline
The Central Asia–China gas pipeline is a natural gas pipeline from Central Asia to Xinjiang in the People's Republic of China.-History:...
. The pipeline is expected to cost US$20 billion. The project is developed by China National Oil and Gas Exploration and Development Corp. (CNODC), a joint venture of China National Petroleum Corporation
China National Petroleum Corporation
China National Petroleum Corporation is a state-owned fuel-producing corporation and the largest integrated oil and gas company in the People's Republic of China...
and PetroChina.
There are plans to build the third and fourth west-east gas pipelines. The third pipeline will run from the western Xinjiang region to Fujian province
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
in the southeast. The fourth pipeline will start from the Tarim Basin or from Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
.
See also
- Sichuan–Shanghai gas pipeline
- Shaan–Jing pipeline
- Zhongxian–Wuhan Pipeline
External links
- West-East Gas Pipeline project, by china.org.cn
- The West-East Gas Pipeline Project, by PetroChina
- Second West-East Gas Pipeline