An oil pipeline linking Russia's far east to China's northeast is set to start operation by the end of 2010, Zhou Jiping, deputy general manager of the China National Petroleum Corp. confirmed in Beijing at a conference on Thursday.

The pipeline would run from Skovorodino, Russia to China's northeastern city of Daqing.

Construction will start at the end of this month, according to earlier reports.

The pipeline will transport 15 million tonnes of crude oil annually from Russia to China from 2011 to 2030.

China and Russia signed seven energy cooperation agreements in February, which included the pipeline construction project, a long-term crude oil trading deal and a financing plan between the China Development Bank and the Russia Oil Pipeline Transport Company.

(Xinhua News Agency April 24, 2009)