Kunming – A ground-breaking ceremony was held for the China section of the Sino-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline on Sept 10 in the city of An’ning, Yunnan Province. Leaders from Yunnan Province and China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), China's largest oil and gas producer and supplier, attended the ceremony.

CNPC is in charge of the design, construction, operation and maintenance of the pipeline, which is due to complete in 2013. By then, the pipeline will carry 22 million tons of crude oil and 12 billion cubic meters of gas annually. The Myanmar section of the pipeline began its construction in June, 2010.

The China-Myanmar oil and gas pipeline starts at Kyaukpyu port on the west coast of Myanmar and enters China at the city of Ruili, Yunnan Province. In the city of Anshun, Guizhou Province, the pipeline is separated into two, oil pipeline and gas pipeline, running another 1,631 km and 1,727 km each, and ends in Chongqing and Guangxi respectively.

The oil and gas pipeline runs a varied topography, including 56 rivers and 76 tunnels, which pose huge difficulties to the construction.

On the ceremony, Jiang Jiemin, General Manager of CNPC, said that Yunnan enjoys the geographical advantage of being at the southwest border of China. CNPC, as the top oil production corporation in China, will live up to high standards and contribute to China’s energy safety by producing quality oil.

Qin Guangrong, Governor of Yunnan Province, said that this project is in line with the strategy of the West Development in China. To build oil and gas pipeline here will help to diversify the methods of oil imports in our country, and will also better local infrastructure and economic condition. The project also plays an important role in regional coordinated development and the adjustment of industrial structure in Yunnan.