Russian gas pipeline "Power of Siberia" fully completed

Alexey Miller (1st L), head of Russian gas giant Gazprom, attends the commissioning ceremony for the Kovykta field and the Kovykta-Chayanda section of the Power of Siberia pipeline via video link in St. Petersburg, Russia, Dec. 21, 2022. (Xinhua/Meng Jing)

MOSCOW, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- A new gas field and a new pipeline section were connected on Wednesday to Russia's Power of Siberia pipeline, indicating full completion of the major gas route.

The 800-km long new section will transit gas from the Kovykta gas condensate field in the Irkutsk region to the Chayanda field in the Republic of Sakha before joining the preexisting part of the Power of Siberia pipeline.

This photo taken on Dec. 18, 2022 shows equipment at Kovykta gas condensate field in Irkutsk, Russia. (Xinhua/Meng Jing)

"This (new) section will complement the Power of Siberia main gas pipeline, thereby bringing our most important gas transportation route into operation throughout its entire length. It will exceed 3,000 km," Russian President Vladimir Putin said via video link at the commissioning ceremony for the Kovykta field and the Kovykta-Chayanda section of the Power of Siberia pipeline.

This photo taken on Dec. 18, 2022 shows a drilling platform of Kovykta gas condensate field in Irkutsk, Russia. (Xinhua/Meng Jing)

According to the Kremlin, the Kovykta field has a reserve of 1.8 trillion cubic meters of natural gas and 65.7 million tons of gas condensate.

The Power of Siberia pipeline, or the Russian section of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline, started its construction in 2014 and stretches across the Irkutsk region and the Amur region in the Russian Far East before reaching the border city of Blagoveshchensk.