China faces new risk: attacks on pipelines

[phantom power]

Rapid urbanization has resulted in the reckless construction of buildings and roads within the pipelines' buffer zones in recent years, said Cao Kangtai, director of Legislative Affairs Office of the State Council.

Rampant theft of oil and gas through illegal siphoning is also a major threat, he said.

Thieves illegally drilled into the CNPC's pipelines 18,382 times from 2002 to 2006, causing the company a loss of more than 500 million yuan (72 million U.S. dollars), according to CNPC.

Oil theft is now a major cause of oil spills, said Liu Zheng, a professor from Tsinghua University, to China Daily.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2010-01/06/content_12762777.htm

[dkf]

1. These Chinese sure are crafty.

Very resourceful.

[GliderGuider]

2. Reminiscent of Nigeria

Pipeline fires from these activities could outstrip coal mining in China as a cause of "dangerous fossil fuel casualties"...