The report said the venture plans to finish the first line of pipeline in mid-November. It added that construction-assembly works were completed at liner part of gas pipeline and the pipeline is tested under pressure.

Uzbekneftegaz national holding company and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) created Asia Trans Gas JV on an equal footing to project, construct and exploitation of the Uzbekistan-China pipeline. The pipeline will be used to transit 30 billion cubic meters of gas a year from Turkmenistan with help of Turkmenistan-China pipeline.

Uzbekistan and CNPC agreed to transport 10 billion cubic meters of gas a year. The pipeline’s diameter is 1,067 mm and extension - 530 km. The capacity is 40 billion cubic meters of gas year. The pipeline will be laid in three regions - Bukhara, Kashkadarya and Navoi regions and it will be connected with Kazakhstan’s gas transportation system. The cost of the Uzbek part of the pipeline is US$3 billion. The first line will be finished by the end of 2009 and the second line of the pipeline will be completed by the end of 2011.