China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), the country's biggest oil and gas producer, announced on Monday it has signed an agreement with Myanmar's Energy Ministry to receive exclusive rights to build and operate the China-Myanmar crude oil pipeline.

The deal has granted operating concession of the pipeline to the CNPC controlled South-East Asia Crude Oil Pipeline Ltd., said CNPC.

The pipeline company will also enjoy tax concessions and customs clearance rights, said a report on the CNPC website.

The agreement stipulates the Myanmar government should guarantee the company's ownership and exclusive operating rights, as well as the safety of the pipeline.

In June, CNPC and the Myanmar government signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing that CNPC would be responsible for the design, construction, and operation of the pipeline, the statement said.

The 771-kilometer pipeline, extending from Maday island, in western Myanmar, to Ruili, in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan, is expected to carry 12 million tonnes of oil a year initially.

CNPC in late October started construction of a port in western Myanmar as part of the China-Myanmar Crude Pipeline project, said the company.