Kazakhstan–China oil pipeline

The Kazakhstan–China oil pipeline is China's first direct oil import pipeline allowing oil import from Central Asia. It runs from Kazakhstan's Caspian shore to Xinjiang in China. The pipeline is owned by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the Kazakh oil company KazMunayGas.

History

The construction of pipeline was agreed between China and Kazakhstan in 1997.<ref name=xinhua1/> The first section of pipeline from the Aktobe region's oil fields to the Atyrau was completed in 2003. The construction of pipeline from Template:Interlanguage link multi to Alashankou started in September 2004 and was completed in December 2005.<ref name=peoplesdaily2> Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=peoplesdaily> Template:Cite news</ref> The construction of Kenkiyak–Kumkol section was agreed between Kazakhstan and China on 18 August 2007.<ref name=reuters2> Template:Cite news </ref> This section was completed on 11 July 2009.<ref name=CNPC> Template:Cite press release</ref>

The pipeline was developed by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the Kazakh oil company KazMunayGas.<ref name=xinhua1> Template:Cite news</ref>

Currently capacity is at 14 million tons per year. The pipeline is expected to reach nominal capacity of 20 million tons per year in 2014. <ref> Template:Cite news </ref>

Technical description

The Template:Convert long pipeline runs from Atyrau in Kazakhstan to Alashankou in China's Xinjiang. The Kenkiyak-Atyrau section of the pipeline is Template:Convert long and has a capacity of Template:Bbl to t. Capacity of the pipeline maybe upgraded to Template:Bbl to t in the future. The pipeline was built and is operated by MunaiTas a joint venture between CNPC and KazMunayGas.

The Atasu-Alashankou section of the pipeline cost US$700 million. It is Template:Convert long and has a capacity of Template:Bbl to t. Capacity of this section might be upgraded to Template:Bbl to t by 2011.<ref name=peoplesdaily/><ref name=chinadaily> Template:Cite news</ref> The pipeline includes an oil metering station at the Alataw Pass.<ref name=xinhua1/> The pipeline was built and is operated by a joint venture between CNODC and KazTrans Oil JSC. The first oil through this pipeline reached the refinery in August 2006.

The Kenkiyak-Kumkol section is Template:Convert long. It has initial transportation capacity of 10 million tons per year.<ref name=CNPC/> This section has reached its full capacity in 2011.<ref name=upstream2> Template:Cite news </ref>

Alashankou–Dushanzi Crude Oil Pipeline

In Alashankou, the pipeline is connected with the Alashankou–Dushanzi Crude Oil Pipeline, which is a Template:Convert long pipeline connecting the Kazakhstan–China oil pipeline with Dushanzi District.<ref name=Peyrouse> Template:Cite paper </ref><ref name=xinhua300706> Template:Cite news </ref> The capacity of pipeline is 10 million tons of oil per year and it supplies mainly the Dushanzi refinery. The pipeline became operational on 21 December 2005 and the first oil through this pipeline reached to the refinery on 29 July 2006.<ref name=cnpc> Template:Cite web </ref> The pipeline is constructed and operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).

Oil supplies

The Kazakhstan–China oil pipeline is supplied from the Aktobe region's fields and from the Kumkol field. In the future, the main supply source will be Kashagan field. The pipeline is used also for the transportation of oil from Russia's western Siberia by connection with the Omsk (Russia)–Pavlodar (Kasakhstan)–Shymkent–Türkmenabat (Turkmenistan) pipeline in Atasu oil terminal.<ref name=asiatimes>Template:Cite news</ref> Oil is transported through this pipeline by Russian companies TNK-BP and Gazprom Neft.<ref name=reuters1>Template:Cite news</ref>

See also

• Central Asia – China gas pipeline
• Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean oil pipeline
• Lanzhou–Zhengzhou–Changsha product oil pipeline

External links

• Chow, Edward, "Central Asia’s Pipelines: Field of Dreams and Reality," in Pipeline Politics in Asia: The Intersection of Demand, Energy Markets, and Supply Routes (National Bureau of Asian Research, 2010)
• The Geopolitics of Oil Pipelines in Central Asia, Article on the Kazakhstan-China pipelines featured in Vestnik, the Journal of Russian and Asian Studies Winter 2007