The $9-billion pipeline project between Turkmenistan and India has hit the bump as international companies have reportedly refused to take up the job unless they are awarded stake in Turkmenistan's gas fields.

The 1,680km pipeline will start from the energy-rich gas fields of Turkmenistan, run through Afghanistan and Pakistan, and will finally reach India. The project is also called TAPI project.

A source with the knowledge of discussions between Indian Oil Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Turkmenistan's Oil Minister Kakageldy Abdullaev revealed that companies were insisting that they would not participate in the project unless they get stake in the oil & gas fields.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, on the sidelines of the 2012 Petrotech conference, the source said, "International companies are unwilling to participate in the project unless given an interest in the upstream (oil and gas fields)."

None of the four nations involved in the project have the financial muscle and experience required to run a cross-country pipeline. That is way all the four countries are eagerly searching for an international company to lead the consortium for laying and operating the 1,680km pipeline.

The US also wants the pipeline to start and complete as soon as possible as it wants to use the pipeline's construction to put Afghanistan on the path of economic reconstruction and revival; plus it wants to open a non-Russian transit path for Central Asian hydrocarbons treasure. Currently, lion's share of Central Asian hydrocarbons flow via pipeline networks controlled of Russia.