Transneft proposes to construct Eastern Pipeline from Tayshet to Nakhodka

Transneft President Semyon Vaynshtok believes that the government will make a decision on the construction of an export 'Eastern' oil pipeline along a new route from Tayshet in Irkutsk Region to the port city of Nakhodka, according to yesterday's edition of the journal Pipeline. He said that the Ministry of Natural Resources blocked that previous project because they deemed it dangerous to Lake Baikal. 'We understand well that this project should be carried out very carefully,' he said.

Earlier, the government considered a different route for the pipeline to the Chinese city of Datsin from Angarsk. 'At the present time we are actively working on the new pipeline project from Tayshet to Nakhodka,' said Vaynshtok. He emphasized that the route of the pipeline would go another 152 kilometers further from Lake Baikal, and the project would be submitted for an environmental impact evaluation. He also said he thought the government would approve the latest version of the project.