The pipeline, Kazakhstan's first natural gas export route to external markets bypassing Russia, is expected to be completed in June 2010 and have an initial capacity of 4.5 billion cubic meters annually, Kazstroiservis said.
The new gas route is part of a larger project to build a system of pipelines running from Turkmenistan across Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan to energy-hungry China.
The gas pipeline is expected to eventually pump 40 billion cubic meters of natural gas a year by late 2013, including 30 billion cu m for China and 10 billion cubic meters for Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan's proven and estimated reserves of natural gas, including the Kazakh sector's Caspian Sea shelf, stand at around 3.3 trillion cubic meters. Kazakhstan plans to boost natural gas output by more than 50% by 2010.
