Number of gas pipelines globally 2023, by status

As of October 2023, there was a total of 1,869 operational gas pipelines in the world. Seven pipelines, two of which located in Russia, were retired. China is the country with the largest number of operational gas pipelines worldwide.

Pipeline transportation is used to move gaseous or liquid products from their production or extraction site to refineries and ultimately end consumers. The differing pipeline types are called gathering system (extraction), interstate system (transport to market) and distribution system (transport to end-user). The pipelines for the movement of natural gas are made from carbon steel, with compressor stations placed every 40 to 100 miles in order to ensure pressurization of the gas.