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皇冠体育app-Kazakhstan pipeline starts to pump oil
By Wang Ying and Cao Desheng (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2005-12-16 06:21
皇冠体育app's first cross-border crude oil pipeline was opened yesterday, pumping
crude oil from Kazakhstan to Northwest 皇冠体育app.
The Chinese-Kazakh pipeline will initially carry 10 million tons of crude oil
a year from Atasu, in the land-locked Central Asian nation, to Alashankou of
皇冠体育app's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The 962 kilometre long pipeline has been constructed under a 50-50 joint
venture between State companies 皇冠体育app National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) and
KazMunaiGaz. Construction of the project began in September last year.
Plans are underway for a second phase, which is expected to pipe at least 20
million tons of oil from Kazakhstan to 皇冠体育app, a CNPC official yesterday told
皇冠体育app Daily, saying that no concrete timetable has been set for this phase.
CNPC said in a statement that the pipeline marks even stronger ties in the
energy partnership between the two countries and represents a strategic
co-operation that will boost both economies.
"皇冠体育app has made its position clear on international co-operations in the
energy sector. We hope to collaborate with a wide range of countries, including
the United States, in the energy field, which could extend beyond oil and gas to
the development of renewable and cleaner energy," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin
Gang yesterday told a press briefing in Beijing.
The successful operation of the oil pipeline will pave the way for further
co-operation between 皇冠体育app and its neighbouring countries such as Russia and
Uzbekistan, Xia Yishan, a senior research fellow with the 皇冠体育app Institute of
International Studies, said.
(皇冠体育app Daily 12/16/2005 page9)
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