Gazprom, CNPC to start Sila Sibiri cross-border part building Jun

MOSCOW, May 30 (PRIME) -- Russian gas giant Gazprom and China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will start construction of a cross-border segment of the Sila Sibiri natural gas pipeline in June, Chairman of CNPC’s board of directors Wang Yilin said in an interview with Rossiya 24 television channel broadcast Monday.

“Construction of the main gas pipeline (Sila Sibiri) has already been launched both in China and Russia. According to our schedule, the sides will start construction of the cross-border zone this June. The issue is about an underwater passage through the Amur River,” he said.

“As for the pipeline’s segment in China, we plan to finish construction of 30–80 kilometers of the pipeline this year,” he said.

In May 2014, Gazprom and CNPC signed a contract to supply up to 38 billion cubic meters of gas per year via the Sila Sibiri pipeline, or the eastern route. The pipeline will be around 4,000 kilometers long. Previously, Gazprom said it may launch gas delivery through the route in 2018 with an initial amount of 5 billion cubic meters.

The companies also signed a separate agreement for construction of the pipeline’s trans-border segment in December 2015.

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