The first phase of West-East Gas Pipeline (WEP I) delivered 18.6 billion cubic meters of natural gas in 2009, China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), the project，s operator, reported on Feb. 25.

 

The project, which started full operation in 2004, passed the final government inspection on Feb. 24, CNPC said in a newsletter.

 

WEP I and its branch pipelines supply 110 cities, 3,000 companies, and about 300 million residents with natural gas. It has become the primary gas source for Yangtze Delta region and Bohai Economic Rim.

 

WEP II is scheduled to start full operation in 2010, delivering Turkmen natural gas to the coastal energy hubs of Shanghai Municipality and Guangdong Province. WEP III is currently being planned as well.

 

By 2015, China plans to have installed 48,000 kilometers of gas pipelines, double that of 2008.

 

(Source: INTERFAX-CHINA)