Beijing, Jan 1 (IANS) An oil pipeline linking Russia’s far east and northeast China started operating Saturday.
The 1,000-km-long pipeline will transport 15 million tonnes of crude oil annually from Russia to China from 2011 to 2030.
Yao Wei, general manager of pipeline branch of Petro China Co., Ltd. (PBPC), pushed a button in Mohe county of Heilongjian province near the China-Russia border, marking the official start of operations after a two-month trial, Xinhua reported.
PBPC is the operator of the Chinese section of the pipeline.
‘The operation of the China-Russia crude oil pipeline is the start of a new phase in China-Russia energy cooperation,’ Yao said, adding that the pipeline will improve the nation’s energy-imports structure and promote economic development.