Russian oil giant Lukoil will supply 170,000 tons of crude oil to the Chinese National Petroleum Company over a two-month period.

A Lukoil official said the company will supply 70,000 tons this month, and another 100,000 tons in December. Yukos suspended supplies to China in September, citing financial difficulties.

Yukos faces more than 18 billion US dollars in back-tax claims. Lukoil said it was considering replacing Yukos as a regular supplier to China, but needed to reach agreements on lower tariffs with the state railway.

The Chinese route is more costly than European pipeline exports.

CCTV.com