CHENGDU, May 3: China is prepared to join Pakistan, India and Iran in the construction of cross-border gas pipeline project. This was stated by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) Assistant President Liao Yongyuan in an interview here at the CNPC’s headquarters. “We are convinced that the Iran-India pipeline through Pakistan is of significant importance and will substantially benefit all three countries,” he said, adding, China wishes to facilitate construction of this gigantic project.

Liao said that China has already developed good partnership with Pakistan, India and Iran in the petroleum sector and wished to cooperate with them, making the project a reality. He hoped this offer would be received well by the respective countries, since China being a friendly neighbouring country could be in a better position to help in implementing the project on reasonable conditions. This could be also a step forward consolidating the mutually beneficial cooperative partnership at the regional level, he added.

Liao, who holds top position in Sichuan Petroleum Administration (SPA), a subsidiary of CNPC, said they had developed rich capability and experience in construction of pipelines home and abroad in the recent years. “We can also cooperate in setting up gas stations along the pipeline,” he added.

The CNPC is currently engaged in construction of the 998-km China-Kazakhstan oil pipeline. The construction begun in September 2004, is scheduled to be completed by December 2005.

The CNPC has accumulated rich experience in the construction of oil and gas field surface engineering, petroleum and petrochemical projects and long-distance pipeline, and established many technical crews specialized in survey, design, and engineering project construction.

Currently, it has undertaken a number of projects in the areas of oil and gas exploration and development, pipeline construction, and oil refining and petrochemical production in the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, Russia, South America, and other regions.

In addition, it has over 150 operational teams working in over 40 countries and regions, providing services in geophysical prospecting, drilling, logging and downhole operations, and petroleum or petrochemical projects.

The company has successfully carried out technical services in overseas countries such as Pakistan, Kuwait, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, and Sudan. Besides its completion of over 20,000-km of oil, gas and water pipelines within China, it had constructed over 3,000-km of pipeline in Malaysia, Iraq, Kuwait, Tunis, and Sudan. —APP