Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, Oct. 6 -- Russia's OAO Gazprom has submitted to Russia plans for a segment of natural gas pipeline through Altai as part of a larger project aimed at transporting Russian gas to China.
The 54-km pipeline section would extend through Altai. An Altai government commission is expected to take 5 days to accept or reject the project.
If accepted, the pipeline route is to be approved by yearend, technical design is to be ready in 2007, and pipelaying would start in 2008.
The Altai line will link western Siberian fields and western China, where it will be connected with the projected 2,800-km West-East Chinese pipeline, through which gas will be supplied to Shanghai.
Under the general project, Russia intends to supply 60-80 billion cu m/year of gas to China through the proposed pipeline, which will be commissioned in 2011.
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].
