Letter from China: Pipeline reform heats up

The signs are positive that Beijing is getting serious about opening up its gas network

A lull in China’s pipeline reform activity since the launch of a new national pipeline company seven months ago looks set to end in the second half of this year, as a steady flow of reports in Chinese media suggests work is picking up. A standalone operating firm, China Oil & Gas Pipeline Network Corporation (PipeChina), had been years in the making by the time Beijing formally inaugurated it last December. A combination of the winter heating season—the busiest time of the year for China’s gas market—and then the Covid-19 pandemic put further progress on the backburner. But, after a quiet few months, pipeline reform appears to be back on the agenda, and the newsflow suggests a rollout co