The National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy Administration issued the oil and natural gas 15th Five‑Year Plan, assigning State Pipeline Group primary responsibility for trunk‑line investment and construction while permitting private capital in non‑strategic pipelines and oil/gas storage. The plan requires all planned gas storage and LNG receiving terminals be connected to the national trunk network, signals active support for provincial energy plans’ pipelines to tie into

The National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy Administration issued the oil and natural gas 15th Five‑Year Plan, assigning State Pipeline Group primary responsibility for trunk‑line investment and construction while permitting private capital in non‑strategic pipelines and oil/gas storage. The plan requires all planned gas storage and LNG receiving terminals be connected to the national trunk network, signals active support for provincial energy plans’ pipelines to tie into the national trunk, seeks to compress pipeline transport tiers and foster market‑based integration of provincial networks, and allows direct trunk‑line supply to large users where conditions permit. It also calls for a unified nationwide pipeline operation and dispatch mechanism, exploration of market‑based gas balancing, and stronger fair‑access regulation to open pipeline facilities to eligible market participants.