Nigeria, Niger and Algeria Friday signed an agreement to build a pipeline to take Nigerian gas across the Sahara to the Mediterranean, the BBC reports on its Web site.
France's Total SA (TOT), Royal Dutch Shell PLC (RDSB.LN), Italy's Eni SpA (E) and Russia's OAO Gazprom (GAZP.RS) have all expressed an interest in investing in the scheme, the BBC reports.
The project, which will cost an estimated $13 billion, aims to deliver up to 30 billion cubic meters of gas a year for the European market, the report says.
The pipeline will run for 4,128 kilometers through the three countries.