Eric Watkins
Senior Correspondent
LOS ANGELES, July 13 -- Construction of the Atasu-Alashankou oil pipeline between Kazakhstan and China is 30% complete, according to Nurbol Sultanov, deputy general-director for development of Kazakhstan's KazTransOil.
At a press conference in Astana, Sultanov predicted completion of construction by December and the start of line fill in January.
Sultanov said KazTransOil has laid 200 km of pipeline, spent $300 million, and allocated a further $300 million.
The 962-km, 88-mm diameter pipeline will carry crude oil from Atasu in northern Kazakhstan to the Druzhba-Alashankou railroad terminal near the Chinese border.
It will initially carry 10 million tonnes/year, or 210,000 b/d, which will eventually be doubled.
Contact Eric Watkins at [email protected].