What's news

Govt and policies

Nation plans a pipeline company

China's State economic planner has revived a plan to create a national natural gas pipeline company, aiming to provide gas producers with better access to infrastructure to help increase take-up of the cleaner-burning fuel, two senior officials said. The National Development and Reform Commission is working with State oil companies including China National Petroleum Corp and Sinopec Group on the proposal, the two officials familiar with the plan said. The talks include what assets would be included in the company and how it will be run, they said. The plan, first raised about five years ago, is part of Beijing's proposed reforms to make the State-dominated oil and gas sector more efficient and follows a string of smaller steps over the past two years, including cutting down transportation costs and encouraging investment in gas storage.