The “Uzbekneftegas” National Holding Company and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) set up the JV Asia Trans Gas LLC for designing, constructing and maintaining the “Uzbekistan-China” gas pipeline that allows diversifying gas flows from Central Asia.

The “Uzbekneftegas” authorities inform that a presidential resolution approved the development and implementation schedule of the new project on building gas pipeline with launching it in 2010. The joint venture, established on a par, is a requester and financer of the project implementation, using loans.

According to the schedule, in April this year the project developers are to approve the track of gas pipeline and advertise tenders to deliver technological equipment for the gas pipeline. Its technical and economic validity project is to be adopted by the end of this June.

According to the project schedule, the first welding works will start this July. By late 2009 it is intended to finish construction of the first branch of gas pipeline and compressor station with launching them in January 2010.

In 2011 it is planned to launch the second branch of gas pipeline and another two compressor stations. Last April Uzbekistan and China signed an intergovernmental agreement to construct and maintain the “Uzbekistan-China” gas pipeline to transit Turkmen gas through the territory of Uzbekistan.

"Uzbekistan today" news agency