XINHUA is the official news agency of People's Republic of China

XINING (Sept. 17) XINHUA - Soldiers from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) have battled against the world's most savage weather to maintain the world's highest oil pipeline.

The 1,080 kilometer oil lifeline was built with a lifespan of 20 years. But thanks to the dedication of the PLA the pipeline has just past its 20th birthday - and is expected to last another 10 years.

The pipeline, starting from Golmud in northwest China's Qinghai Province, has transported over 2.3 million tons of refined oil to Lhasa, capital of Tibet.

Maintenance of the pipeline, which is vital to the economic development of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, has not been easy. It runs across nine mountains and 108 rivers, and 90 percent of the pipeline is located on the frozen belts of plateaus.

PLA soldiers have conquered the difficulties of coldness, lack of oxygen, and have adopted state-of-the-art technology to maintain the pipeline.

It is estimated the pipeline has saved gasoline worth 500 million yuan (about 60 million US dollars) if the fuel oil had been transported by road transport.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) experts said that the PLA has created another miracle on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the "roof of the world."