China has broken ground on a natural gas pipeline section between Heihe and Daqing in Heilongjiang Province, reported to be an extension network for distributing gas from the existing China-Russia East Route (which crosses the border at Heihe) within China. The groundbreaking ceremony is reported to have taken place around August 26-27, 2026.
The pipeline consists of a 578.3km Heihe-Daqing section and a 196.8km Daqing-Changling section, with a design pressure of 12MPa and design capacity of 48 billion cubic meters per year. The project is reported to include 9 river crossings, 6 railway crossings, 5 process stations, and 18 Class-B-or-above valve chambers. This project is a domestic distribution extension of the existing, already-operating China-Russia East Route, and is separate from the newly planned Power of Siberia 2 and Power of Siberia via Mongolia (Baikal) routes.
The total pipeline length is approximately 775.1km, combining the 578.3km Heihe-Daqing section and the 196.8km Daqing-Changling section. The design capacity is 48 billion cubic meters per year, with a design pressure of 12MPa. Groundbreaking is reported to have occurred around August 26-27, 2026, with construction bid winners for three sections having been announced in June 2026.
China is reported to have continued expanding its domestic pipeline network to distribute Russian natural gas introduced via the China-Russia East Route to major domestic consumption centers. The groundbreaking of this Heihe-Daqing section is seen as part of this ongoing expansion of domestic gas infrastructure.
This groundbreaking illustrates that China continues to expand its domestic distribution network in step with growing imports of Russian pipeline gas. With negotiations ongoing for new routes such as Power of Siberia 2 and the Baikal route, the fact that domestic distribution infrastructure for the existing East Route gas is being expanded first suggests that China is prioritizing greater utilization of gas supplies it has already secured. Northeastern China, including Heilongjiang Province, is known as a region with high winter heating demand where gas supply stability is important, and this pipeline is seen as contributing to regional energy security. From a pipeline construction market perspective, this also illustrates how Chinese domestic contractors continue to undertake large long-distance pipeline projects, generating orders for related equipment, valves, and compressor supply chains. Whether this pipeline connects to existing refining and petrochemical hubs in Daqing and Changling is also worth watching.
When completion and startup of this pipeline will be confirmed is the first point to watch. Whether this pipeline will be linked to new routes such as Power of Siberia 2 or the Baikal route, should those negotiations conclude, is also of interest. How this pipeline actually affects gas feedstock procurement for refining and petrochemical complexes in the Daqing and Changling areas is another point to watch. How China’s winter gas supply stability changes following the pipeline’s operation also warrants confirmation.