China faces new risk: attacks on pipelines

BEIJING — As oil and gas pipelines are quickly extended in China to meet soaring fuel demands, the nation will face increasing threats to its environment, territorial safety and energy security, experts said.

Efforts were urged recently by energy experts for the nation to protect and strengthen the pipelines in light of the Dec. 30 discovery of diesel fuel leakage into a tributary of the Yellow River.

…Rapid urbanization has resulted in the reckless construction of buildings and roads within the pipelines’ buffer zones in recent years, said Cao Kangtai, director of Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council.

Rampant theft of oil and gas through illegal siphoning is also a major threat, he said.

Thieves illegally drilled into the CNPC’s pipelines 18,382 times from 2002 to 2006, causing the company a loss of more than 500 million yuan (72 million U.S. dollars), according to CNPC.

Oil theft is now a major cause of oil spills, said Liu Zheng, a professor from Tsinghua University, to China Daily.

Xinhua