Special to WorldTribune.com

AMMAN — Egypt, Iraq and Jordan plan to launch a regional energy venture.

On March 6, the three Arab states signed a memorandum of understanding that could result in the transfer of Iraqi natural gas to Jordan and Egypt.

Officials said the MoU would focus on the construction of an $18 billion gas pipeline from the southern Iraqi port of Basra to Egypt.

“We are discussing with Iraq and Egypt are mega-projects that will be a turning point in the Jordanian energy sector,” Jordanian Energy Minister Mohammed Hamed said.

The MoU, signed less than a month after Jordan ordered offshore gas from Israel, envisioned the link between Iraq’s gas fields to Egypt’s Arab Gas Pipeline.

Officials said the first stage of the pipeline would reach Aqaba by 2018.

  $18 billion gas pipeline, Arab Gas Pipeline, Basra, Egypt agree on energy deal, Iraq, Jordan, Mohammed Hamed