Kruglov's comments came after Russia's Supreme Court rejected an appeal against the route of the pipeline, on March 9. The appeal was lodged by environmental groups who argued that the pipeline would endanger Lake Baikal.
The 4,100-kilometer pipeline is to run to Russia's Pacific coast, allowing increased oil exports to China, Japan, and South Korea.
The state-controlled Transneft is building the $11 billion Kremlin-backed project.
(AFP)