China National Petroleum Corporation has inaugurated a new natural gas pipeline in Southern Xinjiang to ease gas shortages for millions of consumers.
Commissioned on Sunday in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, the new 378-kilometer natural gas pipeline will significantly enhance energy supply for more than 2 million residents across five counties and cities along the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains.
The pipeline runs from the Yingmaili oil and gas field transmission station in Aksu prefecture to the Sancha distribution station in Kashgar prefecture.
It is designed to serve as a vital second supply route for the area, directly benefiting households and easing chronic gas shortages. The line boasts a maximum daily supply capacity of 7.2 million cubic meters.
"The pipeline will effectively address issues such as insufficient transmission capacity and limited coverage of existing pipelines," said Kang Chun, chief expert of CNPC’s Tarim Oilfield.
"It will directly benefit more than 2 million residents of various ethnic groups in five counties and cities, including Aksu city and Bachu County, as well as two agricultural and pastoral regiments."
Construction of the pipeline commenced on March 10, with CNPC mobilising more than 1,800 workers at the peak of the project to ensure the successful completion of the route, which traverses complex terrain including railways, highways, mountainous areas, and rivers.
The project involved building 11 new valve chambers and distribution stations and expanding three existing natural gas stations.
This new route is part of a larger, 2,108-km, three-phase project, with Tarim Oilfields already constructing over 5,200 km of the main natural gas pipeline network in southern Xinjiang in recent years, boosting cumulative gas supply to more than 70 billion cubic meters. (December 1, 2025, Source: https://www.pipeline-journal.net/news/china-commissions-new-gas-pipeline-ease-shortages-over-2-million-residents)
CHINA - Natural Gas - SUPPLIES - IMPORTS - EXPORTS