One Year After Military Coup, Niger Launches First Oil Export Following $5bn Pipeline Completion

Niger has loaded its first crude oil shipment at Benin’s Seme port, marking a significant milestone after the completion of the $5 billion Niger-Benin pipeline project, according to sources and shipping data.

This achievement places the landlocked country among Africa’s oil-exporting nations just a year after a military coup.

S&P Global Commodities at Sea reported that the Front Cascade, a Suezmax tanker with a capacity of 1 million barrels, was positioned outside the Seme terminal, ready to dock at 1330 GMT. Shipping data indicated that the 156,000-dwt Front Cascade (built in 2017) departed from the Seme port on Sunday.

The shipment is destined for a single-point mooring linked to the West African Oil Pipeline (Niger & Benin) Company (WAPCO), a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corp, which constructed the pipeline. “The Front Cascade tanker is now loading at Seme for the first cargo,” a source informed S&P Global Commodity Insights on May 17.

This initial loading signifies the launch of the 110,000 barrels per day (bpd) crude pipeline, heralding a substantial increase in Niger’s oil production and establishing it as a significant exporter.

Niger, an arid and landlocked nation, currently produces only 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day from its Agadem Rift Basin, primarily for domestic use due to the lack of an export route. However, the new pipeline enables Niger to rapidly boost production.

Sources revealed that the pipeline will start operating at 90,000 barrels per day and gradually reach its full capacity. Jim Burkhard, S&P Global’s vice president of oil markets, energy, and mobility, remarked, “This is a major milestone in Niger’s economic history, comparable to the development of uranium mining in the 1970s. It is a notable oil market development as well — Niger is set to become the world’s newest oil exporter, contributing to global oil supply growth outside of OPEC+