(Reuters) – China’s state economic planner has approved a major natural gas pipeline connecting gas fields in southwestern Sichuan basin and central China’s Hubei province, state media reported.
The trunk line starts at Weiyuan/Luxian in Sichuan, where gas resources are being developed by national energy giants, and ends at Qianjiang, Hubei province, spanning 1,145 kilometers (711.47 miles), People’s Daily reported.
Including another 12 branch lines that total 431 km in length, the project is designed to transport 20 billion cubic metres of gas annually, the report said.
Construction is due to start in December and the project is slated for completion by the end of 2024.
This the second major pipeline linking the gas-rich Sichuan basin to consumers in the east, with the first such project launched 13 years ago.
