Work on China's longest coalbed methane pipeline completed

The construction of the country's longest coalbed methane pipeline finished construction on Wednesday, coming one step closer to the operation of the pipeline, which is under the trunk channel of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, said its operator China United Coalbed Methane Corp.

The major part of the 623-kilometer Shenmu-Anping coalbed methane pipeline, the Shanxi-Hebei section, will be completed and put into operation this year, and about 200 million cubic meters of natural gas can be supplied to North China this winter, said China United Coalbed Methane Corp, a subsidiary of China National Offshore Oil Corp.

The operation of the pipeline will help ensure the country's gas supply during the upcoming heating season, said Hu Senlin, director of China United Coalbed Methane Corp.

The gas pipeline that connects Shenmu city in Shaanxi province and Anping county in Hebei province is designed to transport 5 billion cubic meters of gas each year.

The cross-region pipeline aims to help boost the development of coalbed methane, a form of natural gas extracted from coal beds.