China operates world's longest gas pipeline

China's largest oil company by output China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) put the country's second West-to-East natural gas pipeline into operation today.

The pipeline, built at a cost of $21.98 billion, connects central Asia and China, and will send natural gas from Turkmenistan to South China's Pearl River Delta after passing through 15 of the country's provinces.

The pipeline is also the world's longest, with a total length of 8,700km. It will carry 30 billion cubic meters (cu m) of natural gas annually from Central Asia and the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region to the Yangtze River and Pearl River deltas when fully completed in June 2012.

The pipeline is intended to cater to the country's growing requirement for natural gas; China estimates the current national gas demand of 130 billion cu m to increase to 230 billion cu m in 2015.

Comprising a main line and eight sublines, one of which will carry 1.5 to 2 billion cubic metre of natural gas to Hong Kong, will be completed by June 2012, CNPC vice president Liao Youngyuan told Xinhua News Agency.

The western part of the second West-to-East pipeline began operations in December 2009, transferring natural gas from Central Asia to Xinjiang. The pipeline is expected to have a minimum lifespan of 30 years and will benefit more than 400 million people, CNPC said on its website.