West-East Gas Pipeline's Third Line Midsection Tunnels Fully Completed: Shanshan Tunnel Successfully Conquered

The midsection of the West-East Gas Pipeline's third line, stretching from Zhongwei to Zaoyang, has achieved full tunnel completion, including the critical Shanshan Tunnel that traverses the Qinling Mountains. This tunnel, located within the Qinling Nature Reserve, spans 6.03 kilometers, making it the longest and most challenging segment of the project, often referred to as the "throat" of the construction.

The tunnel's completion took 24 months, with a total excavation length of 113 kilometers. The West-East Gas Pipeline's third line is a key national infrastructure project, following the completion of the first and second lines. It is divided into three sections: west, middle, and east. The midsection from Zhongwei to Zaoyang is 1,264.1 kilometers long, with a design pressure of 10 MPa and an annual gas transmission capacity of 25 billion cubic meters.

The entire pipeline begins in Horgos, Xinjiang, and ends in Fuzhou, Fujian, with a total length of 7,378 kilometers. As the midsection construction progresses, the project is expected to be fully operational within the next few years, significantly enhancing the connection between western resources and eastern markets. This will play a crucial role in optimizing the national energy structure, with the midsection alone boosting the system's annual gas transmission capacity by approximately 25 billion cubic meters.