The 2,070-kilometre (1,290 mi) pipeline starts in Lanzhou in Gansu, and runs through Zhengzhou in Henan to Changsha in Hunan.
The 1,188-kilometre (738 mi) long Lanzhou–Zhengzhou segment started operating on 30 March 2009.
The pipeline has an annual transportation capacity of 15 million tonnes.
[1] On 30 December 2009, due to the rupturing of a segment of the pipeline, there was an oil spill in China's Yellow River.
Approximately 150,000 litres (33,000 imp gal; 40,000 US gal) of diesel oil flowed down the Wei and Chishui Rivers before finally reaching the Yellow River on 4 January 2010.