Eastern Siberia – Pacific Ocean oil pipeline

The Eastern Siberia–Pacific Ocean oil pipeline (ESPO pipeline, ) is a pipeline system for exporting Russian crude oil to the Asia-Pacific markets (Japan, China and Korea). The pipeline is built and operated by Russian pipeline company Transneft.

History

The original project of this pipeline was proposed by the Russian oil company Yukos in 2001 as an independent oil pipeline. The project proposed to build a pipeline from Angarsk, where Yukos operated a refinery, to Daqing in northern China. At the same time, Transneft proposed an alternative project to pipe oil from Taishet in Irkutsk Oblast to the Far East port of Nakhodka.

Construction of the pipeline started in April 2006. On 4 October 2008, the section between Taishet and Talakan was launched in a reverse to pump oil from Surgutneftegas-owned Alinsky deposit. The first...
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