The construction of the 378-km pipeline by China National Petroleum Corporation's Tarim Oilfield aims to ease gas shortages in five counties and cities in southern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region begins. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

A 378-kilometer pipeline was commissioned in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region on Sunday, enabling the supply of clean natural gas from China National Petroleum Corporation's Tarim Oilfield to households in five counties and cities along the southern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains.

Running from the transmission station at the Yingmaili oil and gas field in Aksu prefecture in the east to the Sancha distribution station in Kashgar prefecture in the west, the pipeline project started construction on March 10. The construction involves building 11 new valve chambers and distribution stations along the route, while expanding three existing natural gas stations.

With a maximum daily supply capacity of 7.2 million cubic meters, the pipeline forms a second supply route to ease gas shortages in surrounding areas.

"The pipeline will effectively address issues such as insufficient transmission capacity and limited coverage of existing pipelines," said Kang Chun, chief expert of Tarim Oilfield. "It will directly benefit more than 2 million residents of various ethnic groups in five counties and cities, including Aksu city and Bachu county, as well as two agricultural and pastoral regiments."

The construction of the 378-km pipeline by China National Petroleum Corporation's Tarim Oilfield aims to ease gas shortages in five counties and cities in southern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region begins. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

According to the company, the pipeline traverses a complex landscape, crossing 342 challenging sections, including railways, highways, mountainous areas, and rivers of various sizes. At the peak of construction, the company mobilized more than 1,800 workers to ensure completion before the winter demand surge.

The new pipeline is part of a larger 2,108-km project scheduled for implementation in three phases. In recent years, Tarim Oilfield has built over 5,200 km of main natural gas pipeline network in southern Xinjiang, with a cumulative gas supply exceeding 70 billion cubic meters.

The construction of the 378-km pipeline by China National Petroleum Corporation's Tarim Oilfield aims to ease gas shortages in five counties and cities in southern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region begins. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)