Iran, Pakistan sign natural gas pipeline agreement

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62G0UM20100317?loomia_ow=t0:s0:a49:g43:r2:c0.088608:b31964554:z0

“China’s burgeoning gas demand has been a key driver for a swathe of projects to supply the clean-burning fuel — but the speed at which it will shift away from coal and oil could still catch markets by surprise.

…A number of major gas pipelines will be laid over the next three years, including Sichuan-Shanghai, Ordos-Beijing, the second West-East line, doubling the networks’ current capacity.

PetroChina and rival Sinopec Corp are developing new, big fields such as Dina and Tazhong in northwest Xinjiang; Sulige in Inner Mongolia; Longgang and Puguang in southwest Sichuan, while fast-tracking explorations by adding each year 200 bcm of incremental recoverable reserve, said Jiang.

The start of long-term gas deliveries from Qatar, Indonesia and Malaysia will double imports of liquefied natural gas by 2011. These will surge even further in coming years, after firms like Qatargas, Shell, BP and Exxon Mobil sealed supply pacts with Chinese firms worth over $100 billion.

Piped gas from Turkmenistan and Myanmar will together amount to 20 percent of China’s demand, or 40 bcm, by 2015."