Gazprom said in a disclosure notice that no other contenders were permitted to bid for the job, for which the gas giant will pay 39.8 billion roubles ($663 million).

The 970-kilometre pipeline is expected to be completed by 2019 and will enable Gazprom to increase gas shipments from greenfield projects on the Yamal Peninsula and existing assets in the Yamal-Nenets region by 45 billion cubic metres per annum of gas.

According