Turkmenistan, Ashgabad, March 4, Trend H. Hasanov
A gas pipeline from Turkmenistan, which has been in operation since December 2009, has given China great changes, Gun Lefu, the former Chinese ambassador to Turkmenistan, was quoted by Jenmin Jibao as reporting.
Lefu said China suffered from natural gas shortage because, according to statistical data, it possessed only 1.2 percent of global estimated natural gas reserves.
"In this connection, the coming of natural gas from Turkmenistan undoubtedly has given us great changes in the field of natural gas use", he said.
"40 billion cubic meters of natural gas (the pipeline's capacity-author) are equivalent to 40 million tons of crude oil and hence, is extremely significant for China's development and provision of its energy security".
Lefu stressed that Turkmenistan-Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan-China gas pipeline has made a breakthrough in the field of diversification of energy export routes. It leads from Sintsan to the northern part of province Shensi, then from Shensi to the south of China and onward to Guanchzou and Shenchzhen and Sangan; in addition, one of the pipeline's sections leads toShanghai. The gas pipeline covers a relatively large area.
According to the diplomat, the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) took over a gas field with 100 wells in Turkmenistan. Ex-Ambassador Gun Lefu noted that at the end of 1990s natural gas from Turkmenistan went to Europe only via Russia, which reduced the price artificially and limited export.