- Kazakhstan's oil will arrive at China's
Alashankou of northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region April 30 through
the Kazakhstan-China oil pipeline which spans about 1800 kilometers, said
Xia Yishan, head of China Energy Strategy Research Institute.
-
- According to Xia, the Chinese section
of the oil pipeline from the Alashankou to Dushanzi is ready to receive
the oil now. This means Kazakhstan could formally supply its oil to China
since May. It also marks the beginning of cross-border land oil supply
from other countries.
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- Xia, also researcher of China Institute
of International Studies, said the oil arrived at the Atasu Pass at 3 PM
April 11 after traveling 700 kilometers.
-
- The 3,000-kilometer-long Kazakhstan-China
oil pipeline that runs from Atyrau along the Caspian Sea to Kenkiyak and
Atasu will eventually extend to China's Dushanzi Oil Refinery in Xinjiang.
-
- The first phase of the oil pipeline linking
Atasu in Kazakhstan to Alashankou has a length of 1000 kilometers.
-
- According to the cooperation agreement,
the Chinese-Kazakh pipeline will have an initial capacity of 10 million
tons, it will eventually be expanded to 20-30 million tons.
-
- Kazakhstan will continue the construction
of the Kenkiyak-Atasu oil pipeline to further increase its oil shipment
to China, said the researcher.
-
- According to Xia, only one half of the
initial 10-million-ton crude oil will be supplied by Kazakhstan, while
the other half will come from Russia. The pipeline demonstrates a close
energy cooperation relation among the three nations.
-
- In order to serve China's growing oil
needs, Kazakhstan will supply oil to China ahead of schedule. China is
now the second largest oil importer in the world after the US. But more
importantly, China is very attractive to Kazakhstan as it is Asia's largest
and the most stable oil market, while Kazakhstan is the largest oil producer
in Central Asia.
-
- Oil export plays vital roles in improving
the country's economic development and people's living standard. Based
on the above reasons, Kazakhstan hopes to enter into Chinese market in
an early time, according to Xia.
-
- Researcher Xia spoke highly of the opening
of the oil pipeline. He noted the pipeline creates a number of historical
records. It will be China's first cross-border land oil import route which
was jointly built by China and Kazakhstan. It is also Central Asia's first
oil pipeline to China.
-
- According to reports from Russia, the
construction of widely-concerned Taishet-Nakhodka pipeline has begun today
on April 28. The earlier oil supply from Kazakhstan has in some degree
hastened the construction of the Taishet-Nakhodka pipeline.
-
- In the meanwhile, it will also push up
other countries' energy cooperation with China. Kazakhstan has also planed
to lay a natural gas pipeline along the oil route.
-
- In addition, president of Turkmenistan
said during his visit to China in early April that Turkmenistan is willing
to construct a gas pipeline to China and welcomes China to explore oil
in the Caspian Sea.
-
- Xia added that the pipeline has opened
a new road for the Central Asia nations in energy cooperation under the
framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
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- http://english.people.com.cn/200604/29/eng20060429_262193.html
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