Citing an unnamed engineering firm involved in the feasibility study for the project, reports have suggested that a contract for the front-end engineering and design of the project is expected to be awarded later this year.

The project will involve the construction of a 48–56 inch diameter 4,128 km pipeline expected to cost approximately $US10 billion. The pipeline would have a transportation capacity of 30 Bcm/a of gas.

The project is proposed to be operational by 2015, however a date for the final investment decision has not yet been announced.

The pipeline will be built and operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and Algeria’s Sonatrach. The two companies will jointly own a 90 per cent stake in the project, with the Republic of Niger holding the remaining 10 per cent.

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Royal Dutch Shell and Gazprom are both said to be interested in investing in the project.