CNPC opens natural gas project to private capital   

中石油 “西三线”工程率先向民间资本开放

国家重点工程——西气东输三线工程项目(简称“西三线”)投资人合作框架协议签署仪式30日在北京举行。中石油此次一改以往项目投资全部由中石油自有资金出资的模式，引入全国社会保障基金理事会、城市基础设施产业投资基金、宝钢集团等作为股东，从此对全民及民营资本的开放迈出新步伐。

Beijing (CNS) -- China National Petroleum Corporation signed a landmark cooperation agreement with the National Council for the Social Security Fund, the Urban Infrastructure Construction Investment Fund, and Bao Steel to construct a third pipeline for the national west-east natural gas transmission project, Wednesday.

This is CNPC's first project to welcome social and private capital.

The third pipeline is more than 5,000 km long, and crosses 10 provinces and regions including Xinjiang, Gansu, and Ningxia. It is expected to transmit an annual gas volume of 30 billion cubic meters.

Private capital raised by the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China were also poured into the project.