The West-East gas pipeline successfully transmitted the first natural gas from northwest China’s Xinjiang Tarim Basin to Jingbian station, in north China’s Shaanxi Province on Monday.

The gas was pumped from Tarim on Sept. 1, and is expected to reach energy-hungry areas of East China on Oct. 1.

The Jingbian station now links two huge gas fields, Tarim and Changqing, to East China.

The Changqing gas field has been supplying gas to East China since Oct. 1 last year.

Tarim gas is expected to replace Changqing gas to East China after Dec. 1 this year, when Changqing gas will be used only as a supplementary supply.

The US$5 billion pipeline from Xinjiang is expected to transmit an annual volume of some 12 billion cubic meters of natural gas over the next 30 years.

It is also expected to supply up to 10 percent of the country’s entire fuel consumption by 2020.

(Shenzhen Daily September 8, 2004)