Team Blitz India
THE military regime governing Niger has disclosed plans to market internationally Nigerien crude oil from January.
In a televised interview, General Abdourahamane Tiani, head of the military regime, said, “Transport of crude is underway to the Atlantic Ocean,” expressing optimism about the first releases of barrels of Nigerien crude by January.
The crude oil, amounting to “90,000 barrels” produced daily, is destined for Benin, with Niger expected to receive 25.4 per cent of the revenue, equivalent to “22,860 barrels per day.”
A 2,000 km-long pipeline, commissioned in November by civilian Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine under the military rule, will transport the crude from Agadem oilfield in Niger to the port of Cotonou in Benin. It has garnered support from PetroChina.
Media reports indicate that the storage tanks in Cotonou are being filled, with completion expected by January. The borders between Niger and Benin are closed due to severe sanctions imposed by the Economic Community of West African States in response to the July 26 coup.
The extraction of crude oil, or black gold as it is called, is carried out by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). Since 2011, Niger has been refining around 20,000 barrels per day.
