MOHE, Heilongjiang province - A second line for the China-Russia oil pipeline began commercial operation Monday, raising China's annual imports of Russian crude oil from 15 million to 30 million tonnes annually through the pipeline.

Construction on the 941.8-km-long second line from Mohe, which borders Russia, to the city of Daqing in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province began in August 2016. The line passes north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The second line was built in parallel to the first line between Mohe and Daqing, said Jiang Changliang, general manager of PetroChina Pipeline Company. The project is intended to deepen energy cooperation between China and Russia and serve the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative.

Originating in the Russian town of Skovorodino, the new line enters China at Mohe and terminates at Daqing. It operated smoothly and its transmission was 3,812 cubic meters per hour at the Mohe station, according to a Xinhua reporter at the scene Monday morning.

The first line from Mohe to Daqing was put into use on Jan 1, 2011, with an annual capacity of 15 million tonnes. It has transported a total of 110 million tonnes of oil so far.