Work Starts on Chinese Section of Sino-Russia Gas Pipeline

Construction work on the Chinese section of the China-Russia eastern route natural gas pipeline has commenced, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli announced Monday.

The 3,968-kilometer pipeline which is scheduled to be operational in 2018, will carry 38 billion cubic meters of Russian gas to China every year.

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev joined Zhang at a televised inauguration ceremony that was held simultaneously in Beijing, Moscow and the border city of Heihe in northeast China, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Construction on the Russian section of the pipeline started last September.

On May 21, 2014 Gazprom and CNPC signed the purchase and sale agreement for gas supply via the eastern route.