An agreement will be entered Thursday by the Venezuelan Government and Russian state-run Gazprom. Under the agreement, the gas corporation will provide technical advice in some Venezuelan projects, Minister of Energy and Petroleum Rafael Ramírez disclosed.

The minister and president of state oil holding Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) explained that a meeting will be held with Russian managers to discuss potential incorporation of Gazprom, the largest gas company in the world, into the project on the South American gas pipeline, AP reported.

The Governments of Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil and Bolivia are promoting the laying of a hemispheric gas pipeline of more than 8,000 kilometers in length, covering the Caracas-Buenos Aires axis.

An investment of USD 20 billion has been planned for the blueprint. The pipeline will carry about 150 million cubic feet of gas to seven South American nations.