MOSCOW, March 18 (RIA Novosti) - Stroytransgaz, one of Russia's largest engineering and construction companies, said on Tuesday it plans to build a second gas refinery in north-central Syria by 2010.

Stroytransgaz, which is partly owned by Russian energy giant Gazprom and builds oil and gas facilities in 15 countries, launched preparation work for the processing plant with designed annual capacity of 1.3 billion cubic meters last fall. The refinery will be located 75 km (47 miles) south-east of Al-Rakka, and 230 km (143 miles) away from Homs.

Stroytransgaz is already building a gas processing plant in Syria with capacity of 2.5 billion cubic meters at an estimated cost of $210 million, expected to come on stream in January 2009.