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Asset classes
- Transmission Line80,968
- Power Plant32,429
- Substation / Converter7,614
- Oil & Gas Field7,055
- Coal / Uranium Mine5,382
- Pipeline4,951
- Cement Plant3,513
- Data Centre3,283
- Iron & Steel Plant1,293
- LNG Terminal1,198
- Grid Storage965
- Iron Ore Mine949
- Chemical Plant868
- Interconnector704
- Export Terminal519
- Refinery279
- Storage / Tank Farm38
- Oil / Commodity Contract19
- Hydrogen Project18
- Carbon Capture (CCS)16
Chokepoints
China · asset class
Pipelines in China
China has 1,108 pipelines mapped on the OverWatts open energy atlas — the 1st-largest fleet of the 110 countries that hold any, and 25% of the world's mapped total. Of these, 740 operating and 282 under construction or proposed.
The largest owner-operators are National Pipe Network Group North Pipeline Co Ltd (58), China Sinopec Pipeline Storage and Transportation Co. (38) and National Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline Network Group Co Ltd (34) — National Pipe Network Group North Pipeline Co Ltd alone is named on 5% of them. Half of China's pipelines in service predate 2015 (median commissioning year of the 655 with a known date), 320 came online in the past decade and the oldest still listed is Karamay–Dushanzi/Ürümqi Oil Pipeline, dating from 1959. 282 are in the pipeline, led by Ningxia Gas Pipeline Network — Yinchuan-Shizuishan parallel gas pipeline, under construction. They account for 6% of every energy asset OverWatts maps in China.
On the interactive map
Who owns China's pipelines
- National Pipe Network Group North Pipeline Co Ltd58 5%
- China Sinopec Pipeline Storage and Transportation Co.38 3%
- National Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline Network Group Co Ltd34 3%
- Guangdong Natural Gas Grid Co Ltd32 3%
- West to East Gas Transmission Branch of National Petroleum Pipeline Network Group Co Ltd24 2%
- Anhui Province Natural Gas Development Co Ltd22 2%
- China National Petroleum Corp Southwest Oil and Gas Field Branch22 2%
- Shanxi Natural Gas Co Ltd21 2%
Counts an asset once per company named as its owner or operator; a joint venture counts for each partner.
When they were built
- 1950s1
- 1960s3
- 1970s8
- 1980s7
- 1990s26
- 2000s106
- 2010s303
- 2020s201
Median commissioning year 2015 · oldest Karamay–Dushanzi/Ürümqi Oil Pipeline (1959) · newest Liaoning Gas Pipeline Network — Lvshun-Dalian Gas Pipeline (2025) · 655 of 1,108 carry a start date
Under construction & proposed
- Ningxia Gas Pipeline Network — Yinchuan-Shizuishan parallel gas pipelineconstruction
- Ningxia Gas Pipeline Network — Yinchuan-Wuzhong gas pipelineproposed
- Ningxia Gas Pipeline Network — Yanchi-Yinchuan gas pipelineproposed
- Sino-Myanmar Gas Pipeline — Panzhihua-Liangshan Gas Pipelineproposed
- Yunnan Gas Pipeline Network — Baoshan–Nujiang Branchproposed
- Yunnan Gas Pipeline Network — Lijiang–Diqing Branchproposed
- Yunnan Gas Pipeline Network — Lincang Fengqing–Lincang Shuangjiang Branch (Phase II)proposed
- Yunnan Gas Pipeline Network — Pu'er–Banna Branchproposed
- Yunnan Gas Pipeline Network — Weixin–Zhenxiong–Yiliang–Zhaoyang Fracking Gas Pipelineproposed
- Yunnan Gas Pipeline Network — Yanjin–Daguan–Shaoyang Fracking Gas Pipelineproposed
- Yunnan Gas Pipeline Network — Yuxi–Pu'er Branch2018 · proposed
- China–Russia East Pipeline — Hulunbuir Segmentproposed
How China compares · pipelines by country
- 1. China1,108
- 2. United States620
- 3. Russia358
- 4. Australia158
Frequently asked
- How many pipelines are there in China?
- OverWatts maps 1,108 pipelines in China — 25% of the world's mapped total, the 1st-largest national fleet of the 110 countries with any.
- Who owns the pipelines in China?
- National Pipe Network Group North Pipeline Co Ltd is named as owner or operator on the most — 58 of 1,108 (5%). Next are China Sinopec Pipeline Storage and Transportation Co. (38), National Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline Network Group Co Ltd (34) and Guangdong Natural Gas Grid Co Ltd (32).
- How old are China's pipelines?
- The median commissioning year is 2015, across the 655 in service with a known start date. The oldest still listed is Karamay–Dushanzi/Ürümqi Oil Pipeline (1959); 320 came online in the past ten years.
- What new pipelines are being built in China?
- 282 projects are under construction or proposed. The largest are Ningxia Gas Pipeline Network — Yinchuan-Shizuishan parallel gas pipeline, Ningxia Gas Pipeline Network — Yinchuan-Wuzhong gas pipeline and Ningxia Gas Pipeline Network — Yanchi-Yinchuan gas pipeline.