YAKUTSK, August 11. /TASS/. Over 200,000 tons of pipes have been supplied to Yakutia in northeast Russia for building the China-bound Power of Siberia gas pipeline or half of the required volume, the republican transport ministry told TASS on Tuesday.

"As of now, 216,000 tons of pipes have been delivered or 49% of the overall volume [439,000 tons according to the plan]. Over 185,000 pipes will be wielded into a line in the Olekmin district already this year in winter," the ministry said.

Overall, 800,000 tons of cargoes will be delivered during the navigation period for the construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. The navigation period will end in September-October.

First Deputy CEO of the Lena United River Shipping Company Sergey Yemelyanov said the company had shipped over 200,000 tons of pipes, over 150,000 tons of slabs and more than 50,000 tons of accompanying cargoes comprising equipment and metals under a contract with Gazprom.

Power of Siberia gas pipeline

Gazprom and China’s CNPC signed a landmark $400 billion contract in May 2014 on the delivery of 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas to China annually for a period of 30 years.

Natural gas will be supplied to China via the Sila Sibiri (Power of Siberia) gas pipeline, the construction of which was launched by President Vladimir Putin on September 1, 2014.

The Power of Siberia gas pipeline estimated at over $21 billion is intended to pump 61 billion cubic meters of natural gas to the Russian Far East and China annually and will stretch over a distance of 3,968 km (2,465 miles).

The pipeline is designed to pump natural gas from the giant Chayanda oil and gas condensate deposit in Yakutia in northeast Russia and the Kovykta gas condensate field in the Irkutsk Region in Eastern Siberia. The Power of Siberia will run along the operational East Siberia - Pacific oil pipeline, crossing marshlands, mountainous and seismically active areas.

The first stage envisages the construction of the Yakutia-Khabarovsk-Vladivostok trunk gas pipeline. During the second stage, the Irkutsk gas production center based on the Kovykta deposit will be connected with the Yakutia center based on the Chayanda field.

The gas pipeline’s first stage is scheduled to be commissioned in 2017.

The Chayanda oil and gas condensate field in the Lensky district of Yakutia was discovered in 1989. The field, one of Russia’s largest undeveloped deposits, holds about 1.45 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 93 million tons of liquid hydrocarbons. The field is expected to produce up to 25 billion cubic meters of natural gas and at least 1.5 million tons of oil annually.

The Kovykta gas condensate deposit discovered in 1987 is located in the north of the Irkutsk Region. The deposit’s reserves are estimated at 1.9 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, 2.3 billion cubic meters of helium and 115 million tons of liquid gas condensate.

China officially launched the construction of the gas pipeline’s Chinese stretch on June 29, 2015.