Vladimir Putin: West Siberia pipeline route to be defined by feasibility

The route of the new oil link to export West-Siberian fuel to Russia's eastern neighbors will be laid deriving from feasibility, President Vladimir Putin told a news conference in the Kremlin Friday.

The pipeline in question will connect the Siberian town of Angarsk with either Daqing, China, or Nakhodka, Russia's Far East. According to Putin's estimate, the latter seaport "looks preferable" because oil and gas could thus be shipped to all the Asia-Pacific countries, and a branch to Daqing could be laid as well.

The active development of the countries of that region is impeded by a lack of fuels, while Russia is ready to satisfy their growing demand. "In general, this is a very attractive project for us," the Russian leader went on to say.

According to him, the only question that remains is the project's feasibility. We have to estimate whether there is enough resources in West Siberia to saturate the new mainline, to calculate the cost of construction, and determine whether this cost will be recovered. The decision will be made after the issue is studied thoroughly, the president concluded.