OREANDA-NEWS. The construction of the Eastern Siberia - Pacific oil pipeline is proceeding according to schedule, Transneft Vice President Igor Solyarsky said on Wednesday.

“Builders lay five kilometres of the pipeline a day. They have already completed the 861st kilometre”, Solyarsky said.

He believes that the first 2,700-kilometre section of the pipeline from Taishet to Skovorodino will be commissioned in December 2008.

The estimated capacity of the first section is 30 million tonnes a year. “Transneft has guarantees for 100 percent filling of the pipeline at the this stage”, Solyarsky said.

In his words, oil for the pipeline will be supplied from the Tomsk, Tyumen, Omsk, and Novosibirsk regions with the Irkutsk region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, and Yakutia joining in subsequently.

“The implementation of the project will become an unprecedented event in the world practice of pipeline construction”, the official said.

The construction of the pipeline began in April 2006. Upon completion in the port of Kozmino, Primosrky Territory, the pipeline’s capacity will increase to 80 million tonnes a year.

The approximate cost of the work is 400 billion roubles. The pipeline will supply hydrocarbons to the Asia Pacific region.

The project was conceived in accordance with Russia’s energy strategy of up to 2020.