Pipelines that run the world

With the India-Iran pipeline once again in the limelight, here is a look at the global network of oil and gas pipelines, and where India stands with its own network

Jul 04, 2025, 17:41 IST1 min

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There are 59,100 km of gas transmission pipelines under construction and another 151,300 km of pipelines under proposal, at an estimated cost of $533.6 billion. China, Russia, India, Australia, and the US leading in terms of in-development pipelines.

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The top five parent companies that are developing gas pipelines are state-owned entities in Russia (Gazprom), China (PipeChina), India (GAIL), Nigeria (NNPC), and Iran (Ministry of Oil). The longest under-construction projects are the 2,775-km Iran-Pakistan Pipeline, and the 2,655-km Jagdishpur-Haldia-Bokaro-Dhamra Natural Gas Pipeline in India.

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In addition to operational pipelines, there are 9,100 km of oil transmission pipelines under construction and 21,900 km of proposed pipelines. Africa and the Middle East are home to 49 percent of all oil transmission pipelines under construction, at a cost of $25.3 billion, as of May 2023. These regions are building 4,400 km of crude oil transmission pipelines, and 10,800 km are under pro

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The longest pipeline projects under construction are the 1,950-km Niger–Benin Oil Pipeline in Africa, owned by the China National Petroleum Corporation, and the Paradip Numaligarh Crude Pipeline (PNCPL) in India, owned by Numaligarh Refinery Limited.

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