PetroChina plans to sell some sections of its natural gas pipelines linking petroleum resevoirs in northwestern China to the eastern coast as Beijing calls for state-owned enterprises to become more market oriented, South China Morning Post reported. The pipelines, worth some US$6.26 billion, will be auctioned off at a yet-specified assets exchange on the mainland. Analysts say the sale should help the petroleum giant to raise funds and allocate it to the more lucrative oil and gas exploration and production, all the while satisfying officials demands for SOEs to allow firms to participate or invest in their projects and assets.