URUMQI, May 18 (Xinhuanet) -- An oil and gas pipeline originating from the Caspian Sea in central Asia is extending to inland China through the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China.

    Chinese experts predict that a 10,000-kilometer-long oil pipeline will extend across the Asian continent along the ancient Silk Road in two years.

    The natural gas pipeline, to be built by China and Kazakhstan, starts from the Caspian Sea continental shelf, via Atasu, to Alataw Pass in Xinjiang of China with a total length of 3,088 km.

    The investment of the project is estimated between 2.5 billion US dollars and 3 billion dollars. Upon its completion, the pipeline will transmit at least 20 million tons of crude oil annually.

    At present, the western section of the pipeline, running 448 km,is now operational while construction of the eastern section of the pipeline from Atasu to the Alataw Pass is expected to begin in August this year and be completed by 2006.

    According to the framework agreement signed Monday between the governments of China and Kazakhstan, the two countries are cooperating in exploiting oil resources at the Caspian Sea continental shelf. Provided the region has more proven oil reserves, the annual transmission capacity of the pipeline is to reach 50 million tons.

    "China will have long-term convenient and stable oil supply," said Wei Qun, deputy manager in charge of the pipeline's construction.

    Construction on another two oil pipelines, respectively from Shanshan in Xinjiang to Lanzhou City in Gansu Province and from Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital, to Lanzhou will be launched simultaneously with the oil pipeline from Kazakhstan. Quite a number of cities where the two oil pipelines will pass through used to be posts of the once thriving Silk Road in ancient times.

    The two oil pipelines, which will cost an investment of 10 billion yuan (1.2 billion US dollars), are expected to transmit atleast 10 million tons of oil a year.

    As an oil-rich area, western China has probable oil reserves of20.9 billion tons and 10.3 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, accounting for 30 percent of China's total.

    The 4,000-km-long west-east gas pipeline, which goes along the ancient Silk Road, will cross 10 Chinese provinces. Welding on the whole line has been completed and gas will be provided in January 2005.

    Kazakhstan has a verified oil reserve of 4.6 billion tons at the Caspian Sea continental shelf, one of the three oil-rich regions in the world. Oil output of the region is expected to reach 100 million tons by 2010.

    Cooperation between China and Kazakhstan in energy exploitationbenefits both sides and will have bright prospects, said Liu Jianchao, spokesman of China's Foreign Ministry.

    The Silk Road was the land thoroughfare linking China with Central and Western Asia to the eastern shore of the Mediterranean between the second century BC and the eighth and ninth centuries AD.

    The Silk Road went from the present-day Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, and traversed westward through the long and narrow strip of Gansu Province, passed through Dunhuang, famous for its Mogao Grottoes, went out of the Yumen and Yangguan passes, and entered Xinjiang.

    With the start of oil pipeline construction along the Silk Road,this ancient route of commerce, which had fallen quiet for more than 500 years, will become a booming route again. Enditem