NDRC approves Sinopec's 'coal-to-gas' pipeline

Sinopec recently announced NDRC approval for a major pipeline project to take coal-to-gas (CTG) output from Xinjiang in western China into southern and eastern gas markets. The pipeline has a spur that will feed gas into Guangdong, transporting up to 30 bcm annually and could extend as far as 8,400 km, the longest pipeline in the world. Investment is estimated at $20 billion, equal to the West-East 2 pipeline and three times that of West-East 1.The announcement did not include construction timelines.