Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline
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The Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline is China's first direct oil import pipeline. When fully completed, the 3,000 kilometres (1,900 mi) long pipeline will run from Atyrau in Kazakhstan to Alashankou in China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The pipeline is being developed by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and the Kazakh oil company KazMunayGas.[1]
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[edit] History
The construction of pipeline was agreed between China and Kazakhstan in 1997.[1] The first section of pipeline from the Aktöbe region's oil fields to the Atyrau was completed in 2003. Currently the flow along the pipline is from East to West while the remaining section of the pipline is completed, as this allows oil frm the Kenkiyak field to be exported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC). Once the third section is completed the flow will reverse allowing oil from the Precaspian Basin to be exported to China. The construction of the 987 kilometres (613 mi) Atasulong second section of pipeline from Atasu to Alashankou started in September 2004 and was completed in December 2005.[2][3]
The Kenkiyah-Atyrau section of the pipeline is 449 km long and has a capacity of 120,000 bbl/d (19,000 m³/d). Capcity of the pipeline maybe upgraded to 180,000 bbl/d (29,000 m³/d) in the future. The pipeline was built and is operated by MunaiTas a joint venture between CNPC and KazMunaiGaz.
The Atasu-Alashankou section of the pipeline is 1000 km long and has a capacity of 20,000 bbl/d (3,200 m³/d). Capacity of the pipeline might be upgraded to 400,000 bbl/d (64,000 m³/d) by 2011. The pipeline was built and is operated by a joint venture between CNODC and KazTrans Oil JSC.
[edit] Technical description
The Atasu-Alashankou pipeline cost US$700 million, and its capacity is 10 million tons a year or 1.4 million barrels a year, which will increase later to 20 million tons or 2.4 million barrels.[3][4] The pipeline includes an oil metering station at the Alataw Pass.[1] In Alashankou this section is connected with the Alashankou-Dushanzi Crude Oil Pipeline, which runs to the Dushanzi District supplying mainly the Dushanzi refinery. The first oil through this pipeline reached the refinery in August 2006.
[edit] Third section
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This article or section contains information about a planned or proposed pipeline. It may contain information of a speculative nature and the content may change as the construction and/or completion of the pipeline approaches, and more information becomes available. |
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The third section of the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline will be Kenkiyak-Kumkol is under construction. The construction was agreed between Kazakhstan and China on 18 August 2007.[5] This section is expected to be completed in October 2009 and to reach full capacity in 2011.[6]
[edit] Oil supplies
Currently the pipeline is supplied from the Aktobe region's fields and from the Kumkol field. In 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 Omsk (Russia) -Pavlodar (Kasakhstan) -Shymkent - Türkmenabat (Turkmenistan) pipeline in Atasu oil terminal.[7] Oil is transported through this pipeline by Russian companies TNK-BP and Gazprom Neft.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline opens to operation", Xinhua, 2006-07-12. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
- ^ "China starts work on Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline", People's Daily Online, 2005-03-25. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
- ^ a b "Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline to open in May", People's Daily Online, 2006-02-27. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
- ^ "China-Kazakhstan pipeline starts to pump oil", China Daily, 2005-12-25. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
- ^ Maria Golovnina. "Kazakhstan, China agree on pipeline from Caspian", Reuters, 2007-08-18. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
- ^ "Beijing digs in with Kazakh pipes", Upstream Online, 2008-04-09. Retrieved on 2008-04-19.
- ^ Alexander Sukhanov. "Caspian oil exports heading east", Asian Times, 2005-02-09. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
- ^ "Gazprom Neft asks to send more oil to China", Reuters, 2008-03-12. Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
[edit] External links
- The Geopolitics of Oil Pipelines in Central Asia, Article on the Kazahstan-China pipelines featured in Vestnik, the Journal of Russian and Asian Studies Winter 2007
