Cotonou, Benin – Niger has resumed crude oil exports through Benin after a dispute between the two countries temporarily halted the flow of oil via a new Chinese-funded pipeline.
The dispute arose from Niger’s refusal to lift a ban on imported goods from Benin. In response, Benin blocked exports through the PetroChina-backed pipeline in May. This led Niger to shut off the oil flow in June.
However, a recent resolution has allowed Niger to resume exports. The Liberian-flagged tanker Aura M successfully loaded around one million barrels of oil from Niger at the Benin port on Tuesday. The vessel is now en route to China, expected to arrive on October 10.
The West African Gas Pipeline Company (Wapco), which operates the pipeline, confirmed the resumption of exports. The pipeline has a capacity of 90,000 barrels per day and stretches approximately 2,000 kilometers from Niger’s Agadem oilfield to Benin’s coast.
The dispute between Niger and Benin stemmed from political disagreements within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). While ECOWAS lifted sanctions on Niger last year, Niger did not reciprocate, maintaining the ban on imports from Benin.
The resolution of the dispute has enabled Niger to resume its crude oil exports through the pipeline, which is part of a $400 million deal with China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC).
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