Brussels, 17/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - On the sidelines of the visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to Libya on 16 April, the head of Russian energy giant Gazprom, Alexei Miller, said that his group had begun preliminary discussions with Nigeria on its possible involvement, alongside Algerian and Nigerian energy companies Sonatrach and NNPC, in a consortium to build the trans-Saharan gas pipeline (TSGP) intended largely to supply Europe with Nigerian gas, and which is being promoted by the European Commission (see EUROPE 9464). The inter-continental TSGP project will link Nigeria and Algeria through Niger, then travel onto Europe via the Medgaz (with its connection to Spain) and Galsi (connecting with Italy through Sardinia) underwater gas pipelines. With its planned capacity between 20 and 30 billion cubic metres per year, the TSGP will be 4,188 kilometres long. Costing an estimated $10 billion, it is due to come into service in 2015. “Gazprom, by its technical capability, is the number 1 company in the world. Such big projects naturally interest us,” Miller said. (E.H.)