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The start up of the Algerian side of the Medgaz pipeline, exporting natural gas to Spain, is "imminent," an Algerian official was quoted as saying Tuesday, after a delay of more than a year.

Official agency Algerie Presse Service quoted Mohamed Tayeb Cherif, a regional manager at the pipeline transport unit of Sonatrach, as saying "the pipeline is currently on standby. Its start-up is imminent."

He said all technical tests have been carried out ahead of putting of the gas pipeline into operation.

A Spanish spokesman for the Medgaz project said the pipeline is ready to start operations "in coming weeks" but declined to provide additional details.

The project has been continuously postponed since late 2009 amid technical problems and a global gas glut.

Medgaz is operated by a consortium comprising Algerian state oil company Sonatrach, Spanish companies Endesa SA (ELE.MC), Compania Espanola de Petroleos SA (CEP.MC), or Cepsa, Iberdrola SA (IBE.MC) and France's GDF Suez SA (GSZ.FR).

The pipeline has an annual capacity of 8 billion cubic meters, likely more than Spain needs in additional gas supplies, given the current decline in demand following the economic crisis.

By Benoit Faucon, Dow Jones Newswires; +44-20-7842-9266; benoit.faucon@dowjones.com

(David Roman in Madrid contributed to this story.)