Niger has loaded its first crude oil shipment at Benin’s Seme port, according to sources and shipping data, following the completion of the $5 billion Niger-Benin pipeline project.
This milestone elevates the landlocked African country to the ranks of 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 just outside the Seme terminal, ready to dock at 13:30 GMT.
Shipping data indicated that the 156,000-dwt Front Cascade (built in 2017) departed from the Benin port of Seme on Sunday.
The shipment’s listed destination is 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 Niger-Benin pipeline“Front Cascade tanker [is] now loading at Seme for the first cargo,” a source told S&P Global Commodity Insights on May 17.
The impending loading signals the commencement of operations for the 110,000 barrels per day (bpd) crude pipeline, poised to significantly boost Niger’s oil production and transform it into a notable exporter.
Niger, a desert-bound and landlocked nation, presently produces only 20,000 barrels of crude oil per day from its Agadem Rift Basin. This oil is predominantly consumed domestically due to the absence of export infrastructure. However, Niger is primed to rapidly ramp up production to leverage the new pipeline.
Sources indicated that the pipeline will initially function at 90,000 barrels per day and gradually scale up to its maximum capacity.
“This marks a significant milestone in Niger’s economic trajectory — reminiscent of the uranium mining boom in the 1970s,” remarked Jim Burkhard, S&P Global’s vice president of oil markets, energy, and mobility.
“This is a significant development in the oil market landscape, as Niger is poised to emerge as the newest oil exporter globally. Moreover, it contributes to the expansion of world oil supply beyond the OPEC+ framework.”
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