BEIJING - Designs and construction plans for the east route China-Russia natural gas pipeline have been approved, according to the China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC) on Thursday.

The China part of the pipeline originates in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and terminates in Shanghai Municipality in the east. Work is expected to begin in 2015 on the section from Heihe in Heilongjiang to Changling in Jilin, as well as a sub-line from Changling to Changchun in the same province, the CNPC said.

Next will come the central section from Changling to Yongqing in Hebei Province, and then the southern section from Yongqing to Shanghai.

Each section has received separate approval by the National Development and Reform Commission, CNPC said.

Construction on Russia section began in eastern Siberia this September. From 2018, 38 billion cubic meters of natural gas will flow into China via the pipeline each year.

Negotiations on details for a proposed western route are underway.