2024-07-25 22:10:47
The Chadian oil minister visited Niamey from July 10 to 13 to officially resume discussions on restarting the pipeline project between Chad and Niger. In 2019, he was abandoned by the Nigeriens in favor of the Benin route. However, the current quarrel between the two countries is reshuffling the cards and restarting the Chadian option.
Therefore, the option of Chad is back on the table. Connecting the Agadem field to the Chadian pipeline in Doba has a precise vision: ” The relaunch of the project coincides with the launch of upstream activities at Sonidep [Société nigérienne du pétrole, NDLR] This happened on June 22. So this is timely because the Bilma, R5, R6, R7 blocks and the R1, R2, R3, R4 blocks When they come into production, they will feed this pipeline, Mahaman Moustapha Barké, Minister of Petroleum, Niger. So we will have an outlet in Chad for the export of crude oil from these different blocks, and the blocks that are already operational, already in production, will supply crude oil to the Dosso refinery and the petrochemical complex. »
The Chadian Minister of Hydrocarbons, Alixe Naïmbaye, visited Niamey. Restart the project as soon as possible within three daysin particular through the establishment of technical committees. ” The Niger-Chad-Cameroon pipeline construction project has opened up a new transportation route for Niger crude oil and deserves full attention. “, she promised. The best possible realization of this comprehensive project ” and added: Mr. Minister, today we have had preliminary discussions on this project, and I want to assure you that Chad will do its utmost to make this infrastructure construction a complete success. »
« The economy doesn’t play a big role in this. »
The project would have involved building 700 km of new pipeline, and the cost was estimated at $1.18 billion at the time, while the Benin project had undoubtedly cost more than $2 billion. Economics doesn’t play a big role in this, it’s very geopolitical », emphasizes oil expert Jean-Pierre Favennec.
A diplomatic dispute between Benin and Niger is currently hampering oil exports. « If the Chadian authorities are more flexible and the Cameroonian authorities are more flexible, then there is no choice but to try to go through Chad and connect the Chad-Cameroon oil pipeline. I remind you that this actually requires an agreement with the Nigeriens, the Chinese, the Chadians and the Cameroonians. », he analyzed.
There is still much work to be done before this new pipeline can be put into service: studies need to be updated, costs reassessed, and agreements reached on oil rights of way.
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