State-owned China National Petroleum Corp. has confirmed that gas has started to flow in the Myanmar-China natural gas pipeline, signalling the start of trial operations.
China's largest oil and gas producer and supplier stated on its website that the valves at the Kyaukpyu gas station where the pipeline starts in Rakhine state in western Myanmar opened this week.
Piping natural gas from the Bay of Bengal
Southeast Asia Pipeline Co., a subsidiary of CNPC operates the 12 billion m3/yr pipeline, which will transmit gas from the offshore Shwe gas fields in the Bay of Bengal to China's southern province of Yunnan. From there, it will connect to a spur line within China.
It is expected that the Shwe gas fields will produce 500 000 ft3/d of gas, with 400 000 ft3/d to be sold to CNPC and the remainder to be distributed within Myanmar.
Meant for the domestic market
Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) had said last month that Shwe gas will initially be sent to the domestic market until proper commissioning of the Myanmar-China pipeline starts and the connecting pipeline within China has been fully completed.
According to officials, gas was only expected to reach China around August or September.
Edited from various sources by Cecilia Rehn.