Uzbekistan, Tashkent, Dec. 10 / Trend D.Azizov /
Uzbekistan is expected to hold a trial run of the first branch of the Uzbek section of the Turkmenistan-China gas pipeline Dec.15, a governmental source said.
The country plans to test the entire gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to China by pumping natural gas Dec. 15, the source added.
"The pipeline's construction is almost completed. Our pipeline section was tested under pressure," the source said.
The pipeline's diameter is 1,067 millimeters, length - 530 kilometers and capacity - 40 billion cubic meters of gas. The pipeline passes through three provinces - Bukhara, Navoi and Kashkadarya - with further entry to the gas transmission system in Kazakhstan.
The construction was launched July 1, 2008.
The operator is the Uzbek-Chinese joint venture Asia Trans Gas created by Uzbekneftegaz and the China National Petroleum Corporation on a parity basis for the design, construction and operation of the Uzbek section of the pipeline in April 2008.
The gas pipeline will also be used to export Uzbek gas to China in the amount of 10 billion cubic meters upon an agreement between the Uzbek government and China.
The China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau (CPP), the China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC) and Swiss Zeromax GmbH signed a contract on the pipeline in 2009.
The Chinese companies are building a section from Gazli to Kazakhstan and Zeromax - from Turkmenistan to Gazli.
The gas pipeline's second branch and two compressor stations are planned to be completed by early 2011.
Uzbekistan is second in terms of natural gas extraction in the CIS. It is among the 10 largest gas-producing countries in the world.
About 60 billion cubic meters of natural gas are extracted in Uzbekistan annually.
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