Altai gas pipeline
Encyclopedia
The Altai gas pipeline is a proposed natural gas pipeline to export natural gas from Russia's Western Siberia to North-Western China.
CEO Alexei Miller
and CNPC CEO Chen Geng
during Russian president Vladimir Putin
's visit to China in March 2006. The project was put on hold due to disagreements over natural gas price and competition from other gas sources in the Chinese market.
-Chelyabinsk
pipeline. It would carry natural gas from Nadym
and Urengoy
fields in Western Siberia. Total length of Russian section will be 2666 kilometres (1,656.6 mi), including 205 kilometres (127.4 mi) in Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region
, 325 kilometres (201.9 mi) in Khanty-Mansyisk autonomous region
, 879 kilometres (546.2 mi) in Tomsk Oblast
, 244 kilometres (151.6 mi) in Novosibirsk Oblast
, 422 kilometres (262.2 mi) in Altai Krai
, and 591 kilometres (367.2 mi) in the Altai Republic
. The terminal point in the Russian territory is the Kanas mountain pass. Large part of the pipeline will be built within the technical corridor of existing pipelines, such as Urengoy–Surgut–Chelyabinsk, Northern Tyumen regions–Surgut–Omsk
, Nizhnevartovsk
gas refinery–Parabel, Parabel–Kuzbass, Novosibirsk
–Kuzbass, Novosibirsk–Barnaul
and Barnaul–Biysk
pipelines. In China, the pipeline would be terminated in the Xinjiang region
, where it will be linked to the West–East Gas Pipeline.
, which is the natural habitat of the snow leopard and other endangered species. Besides, Altai national leaders fear that laying the pipeline and accompanying technical highway will pave way for a Chinese expansion into Altai.
History
The memorandum on deliveries of Russian natural gas to China was signed by GazpromGazprom
Open Joint Stock Company Gazprom is the largest extractor of natural gas in the world and the largest Russian company. Its headquarters are in Cheryomushki District, South-Western Administrative Okrug, Moscow...
CEO Alexei Miller
Alexei Miller
Alexey Borisovich Miller is Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Management Committee of Russian energy company Gazprom, Russia's largest company and the world's biggest natural gas producer....
and CNPC CEO Chen Geng
Chen Geng
Chen Geng was a Chinese communist military leader.-Early life:Born in Hunan province, Chen was second of 12 siblings. However, because his elder brother died early due to illness, Chen became the eldest son. His grandfather, Chen Yiqong was an officer in the imperial Chinese army and was rewarded...
during Russian president Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin served as the second President of the Russian Federation and is the current Prime Minister of Russia, as well as chairman of United Russia and Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Russia and Belarus. He became acting President on 31 December 1999, when...
's visit to China in March 2006. The project was put on hold due to disagreements over natural gas price and competition from other gas sources in the Chinese market.
Route
The 2800 kilometres (1,739.8 mi) long pipeline would start from the Purpeyskaya compressor station of the existing Urengoy-SurgutSurgut
Surgut is a city in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located on the Ob River near its junction with the Irtysh River, the largest in the autonomous okrug and the second largest in Tyumen Oblast. Population:...
-Chelyabinsk
Chelyabinsk
Chelyabinsk is a city and the administrative center of Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located in the northwestern side of the oblast, south of Yekaterinburg, just to the east of the Ural Mountains, on the Miass River. Population: -History:...
pipeline. It would carry natural gas from Nadym
Nadym
Nadym is a town in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia, situated on the Nadym River. It serves as the administrative center of Nadymsky District, although it is not administratively a part of it. Population: It is served by the Nadym Airport....
and Urengoy
Urengoy gas field
The Urengoy gas field in the northern West Siberia Basin is the world's second largest natural gas field after South Pars / North Dome Gas-Condensate field. The gas field has over ten trillion cubic meters in total deposits...
fields in Western Siberia. Total length of Russian section will be 2666 kilometres (1,656.6 mi), including 205 kilometres (127.4 mi) in Yamalo-Nenets autonomous region
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug , is a federal subject of Russia . Its administrative center is the town of Salekhard. Population: -Geography and natural history:...
, 325 kilometres (201.9 mi) in Khanty-Mansyisk autonomous region
Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug
Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug , also known as Yugra, is a federal subject of Russia . Population: The people native to the region are the Khanty and the Mansi, known collectively as Ob Ugric people...
, 879 kilometres (546.2 mi) in Tomsk Oblast
Tomsk Oblast
Tomsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the southeastern West Siberian Plain, in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Tomsk. Population:...
, 244 kilometres (151.6 mi) in Novosibirsk Oblast
Novosibirsk Oblast
Novosibirsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in southwestern Siberia. Its administrative and economic center is the city of Novosibirsk. Population: -Overview:...
, 422 kilometres (262.2 mi) in Altai Krai
Altai Krai
Altai Krai is a federal subject of Russia . It borders with, clockwise from the south, Kazakhstan, Novosibirsk and Kemerovo Oblasts, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative center is the city of Barnaul...
, and 591 kilometres (367.2 mi) in the Altai Republic
Altai Republic
Altai Republic is a federal subject of Russia . Its capital is the town of Gorno-Altaysk. The area of the republic is . Population: -Geography:...
. The terminal point in the Russian territory is the Kanas mountain pass. Large part of the pipeline will be built within the technical corridor of existing pipelines, such as Urengoy–Surgut–Chelyabinsk, Northern Tyumen regions–Surgut–Omsk
Omsk
-History:The wooden fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the expanding Russian frontier along the Ishim and the Irtysh rivers against the Kyrgyz nomads of the Steppes...
, Nizhnevartovsk
Nizhnevartovsk
Nizhnevartovsk is the second largest city in Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia, located along the right bank of the Ob River. Population: 251,860 ; 239,044 ;...
gas refinery–Parabel, Parabel–Kuzbass, Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
–Kuzbass, Novosibirsk–Barnaul
Barnaul
-Russian Empire:Barnaul was one of the earlier cities established in Siberia. Originally chosen for its proximity to the mineral-rich Altai Mountains and its location on a major river, the site was founded by the wealthy Demidov family in the 1730s. In addition to the copper which had originally...
and Barnaul–Biysk
Biysk
Biysk is a city in Altai Krai, Russia. It is the second largest city of the krai . Population: -Geography:Biysk is situated in southwestern Siberia, on the Biya River . The city is called "the gates to the Altai Mountains", because of its position comparatively not far from this range...
pipelines. In China, the pipeline would be terminated in the Xinjiang region
Xinjiang
Xinjiang is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese administrative division and spans over 1.6 million km2...
, where it will be linked to the West–East Gas Pipeline.
Technical description
The diameter of the pipeline would be 1420 millimetres (55.9 in). The designed capacity of the pipeline would be 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) natural gas annually and the total costs of the whole project is expected to be up to US$14 billion. The pipeline was expected to become operational in 2011, although there are some concerns that the real date would be 3–4 years later. The pipeline will be built and operated by TomskTransGaz, the subsidiary of Gazprom.Controversy
The pipeline project is criticized by environmental organizations, because it's planned to run across the Ukok PlateauUkok Plateau
Ukok Plateau is a remote and pristine grasslands area located in the heart of southwestern Siberia, the Altai Mountains region of Russia near the borders with China, Kazakhstan and Mongolia...
, which is the natural habitat of the snow leopard and other endangered species. Besides, Altai national leaders fear that laying the pipeline and accompanying technical highway will pave way for a Chinese expansion into Altai.