OREANDA-NEWS. March 31, 2009. Implementation of the large-scale project on construction of Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline was the focus of the talks held at Turkmengaz State Concern and the State Agency for Hydrocarbon Resources Management and Use under the President of Turkmenistan. The Chinese delegation headed by the Vice-President of the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) had arrived in the Turkmen capital for this purpose.

The sides harmonized views on the main aspects of the joint project of strategic importance for both countries. The Chinese partners informed that to date 1,200 km of pipes had been laid across the territories of the transit countries – Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The partners were planning to lay 600 km of the ‘steel route’ and partially modernize the existing pipeline in China to increase its capacity.

The construction works on the Turkmen section are in full swing. Russian Stroytransgaz is engaged in construction works at the 188-km Malay-Bagtyyarlyk gas pipeline on the request of Turkmengaz State Concern. To date the Russian company has built over 40 km. This gas pipeline will connect the richest gas deposits from which ‘blue fuel’ will be supplied to Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline which is to be constructed by the end of this year.

The partner of Turkmen gas industry workers – CNPC International (Turkmenistan) is a subdivision of the China National Petroleum Corporation that conducts the full-scale works on exploration, development and production of natural gas on the Bagtyyarlyk contractual territory and develops necessary ground-based infrastructure. Construction of the first of two gas processing plants was launched on the Samandepe deposit. After the plants are put into operation Turkmenistan will start to supply natural gas to China.

Thus, today the large-scale project to which the Governments of Turkmenistan and the People’s Republic of China attach paramount importance assumes the real shape. After the sides analyzed the situation they agreed that the amount of the work done allowed stating that Turkmenistan could start to export natural gas to China by the end of 2009.