Central Asia to China gaz pipline route

At present, a basic technical project with an estimated cost of $800 mln has been set up. The line which will connect the existing gas pipeline infrastructure in Uzbekistan with the site in Tajikistan under construction, will have about 200 km length.

The Central Asia–China gas pipeline is a natural gas pipeline system from Central Asia to Xinjiang in China. The pipeline starts at the Turkmen-Uzbek border city of Gedaim and runs through central Uzbekistan and southern Kazakhstan before reaching Horgos in China’s Xinjiang.

Presently, the construction of three lines of the gas pipeline each running for 1,830 km has been completed. It is expected that the third branch will be operational in Q1 of 2015. Aside from fostering economic co-operation between China and central Asian countries, the pipeline is also expected to be a source of prosperity for the region, promoting development and investment in local natural gas resources, stimulating the growth of local equipment manufacturing and construction industries, as well as create employment opportunities.

The construction of the 1,067 mm Central Asia to China gas pipeline started in 2008. Its combined length nears 7,000 km. The whole pipeline is about 1,833 km long, of which 188 km in Turkmenistan and 530 km in Uzbekistan. It consists of three parallel lines with combined total capacity of 55 bln m³ per year which would be reached by 2015. The pipeline starts in Saman-Depe carrying natural gas from the Bagtyyarlyk gas fields on the right bank of Amu Darya in Turkmenistan. It is mainly supplied from Iolotan and Sag Kenar fields. The pipeline enters Uzbekistan in Olot and runs across Uzbekistan to southern Kazakhstan parallel to the existing Bukhara-Tashkent-Bishkek-Almaty pipeline. The pipeline crosses the Kazakhstan-China border at Khorgos, where it is connected to the second West-East Gas Pipeline.

In Shymkent, the pipeline will be linked with the 1,400-km branch line from Beyneu in western Kazakhstan. It will supply natural gas from the Karachaganak, Tengiz and Kashagan gas fields. The branch line will have a capacity of 15 bln m³ of natural gas per year.

The fourth line of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline with a total length of about 1,000 km will pass through five countries – Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and China and will increase its combined throughput capacity to 85 bln m³.

In 2013, Uzbekistan and China signed an agreement on the construction and operation of the pipeline Uzbekistan-China with the capacity of 30 bln m³ of gas per year, which will pass along the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan-China route.

In 2014, Uzbekneftegaz National Holding Company and the China National Petroleum Corporation signed an agreement to create a joint venture for the construction and operation of the pipeline to be held along the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan-China route. The need to create a second joint venture is related to the financing of projects.

Asia Trans Gas JV, created by Uzbekneftegaz and CNPC for the construction and operation of the Central Asia-China pipeline passing along the Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China route currently operate in Uzbekistan. Central Asia–China gas pipeline is the first pipeline to bring Central Asian natural gas to China and highlights China’s quest for Central Asian energy exports.