Nigerian Presidential Adviser on Petroleum and Energy Edmund Daukoru said Thursday that the trans-Sahara gas pipeline project would soon take off.

Meeting with Algerian Oil Minister Chekib Khaliel in the nation's capital Abuja, Daukoru said that both Nigeria and Algeria would soon overcome the hitches that stalled the project.

The two African countries conceived the idea of the project in 2000 to utilize their abundant gas reserves to deliver gas to the European market.

Describing the project as a deliberate strategy to develop and monetize their abundant gas reserves, Daukoru said the project when completed and put into operation would protect the environment and reduce gas flaring significantly in both countries.

He said preliminary study on the project revealed its viability.

The Algerian oil minister said he was in the country to conclude discussions on the take-off of the project.

In addition to the project, Khaliel said, the two countries would also consider a road project along the pipeline.

He said fiber-optic cable would also be laid along the pipeline for effective communication between both countries.

Algeria would be willing to sign more agreements with Nigeria on many more projects, he added.