(AFP) A stalled gas pipeline joint venture between Malaysia and Thailand is expected to finally take off in April, a senior executive of Malaysia's state energy firm Petronas said today.

"They (the Thai authorities) are expected to give the green light by the end of March. We are confident of getting that," Muri Muhammad, Petronas's vice-president was quoted as saying by Bernama news agency.

"We are ready to go. We are just waiting for the green light," he said, adding that the go-ahead would pave the way for the project to start early April.

Muri said that the gas pipeline project had already received environmental approval.

Strong opposition

Thailand and Malaysia are expected to start pumping gas from a seabed site along their border in the Gulf of Thailand in the final quarter of 2003 and not in mid-2002 as originally projected, he said.

The plan has been stalled by strong opposition from Thai environmental groups who say the pipeline will destroy fishing grounds and cause other ecological damage.

The gas will come ashore at Songkhla, Thailand and then be sent by pipeline to both countries. The first stage of the project is expected to cost one billion US dollars.

Officials from a joint development organisation for the project say there could be 25 years worth of gas in the reserve.