OREANDA-NEWS. August 30, 2010.  Russia and China talk over cooperation in oil sphere, gas and coal supplies. According to the Russian vice PM, Igor Sechin, the Russian stretch of the East-Siberian Pipeline is now being filled with Russian crude. “The first contract on crude supplies to China is to be signed this year. The estimated volume of the second contract is 125 mn tons per tear.

The flow is to go through Skovorodino, Amur Region”, Sechin said August 29. He added that oil supplies was not the sole issue Russia and China were being discussed. “This morning we had a very serious and detailed talk with our Chinese partners, concerning not only crude deliveries to China, but oil refining and the deployment of an oil transportation network in the country as well. Chinese companies could participate in crude production projects in the territory of Russia, particularly, in Irkutsk Region and the Sakhalin.

Thus, our relationships are to be of complex nature and include transportation, refining and joint tapping”, Sechin summarized. Another branch of the new pipeline runs to the port of Kozmino, Primorsky Territory, on the coast of the Pacific Ocean, Sechin said. “Apart from the cooperation in the oil sphere, we have talked over issues related to the partnership in coal supply and processing. This year, we have already shipped 12 mn tons of coal to China, and now consider shipping additional 12 mn tons. Coal deliveries to China could be brought up to over 20 mn tons per year”, Sechin said.