Operations on New Myanmar-China Pipeline May Be Delayed

Transport of oil and gas from Myanmar to China through the new pipeline may be delayed due to security concerns, a Myanmar energy official told Reuter last week.

Construction of the 793-km pipeline will be completed by the end of May, according to Li Zilin, vice chairman of South East Asia Gas Pipeline Company, a conglomerate of Chinese and Myanmar companies, Reuters reported.

The delay maybe because of recent clashes between government forces and ethnic militia fighters in Shan state, as well as fighting with the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin, a northern state that borders China, Reuters said.

The official said operations were likely to be delayed due to recent clashes between government forces and ethnic militia fighters in Shan state, as well as fighting with the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin, a northern state that borders China.

The pipeline will transport gas from the Shwe fields and will also transport oil from the Middle East and Africa overland across Myanmar, allowing China to avoid using the Straits of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, Reuters said.