Export of Nigerien oil through the Beninese coasts : It is now effective

A first load of Nigerien oil has just left the Autonomous Port of Cotonou. It's about 1.000.000 barrels of Nigerien oil exported raw from the Beninese coast this Sunday 19 May 2024 at 1 a.m..

It's historic ! Benin has become an exporter of crude oil through the pipeline. And this was possible thanks to the temporary lifting of the embargo by the Beninese government on the transport of Nigerien oil via the Sèmè-Podji pipeline.. For the representative of the Chinese company Wapco, le capitaine Yury Kydryashov, c’est un premier pas franchi.

“This is not a project like what you have seen in other countries. Here, this is an ambitious and giant project. From the beginning until today, it was not easy but today we are proud because he had the first load. I would like to thank our work team who did important work to bring this project to fruition.. Because each link in the chain played its role effectively. Loading started on 17 May 2024 and it ended this Sunday 19 May 2024”, he confided

Pour mémoire, le président Patrice Talon a créé la surprise lundi 6 May 2024 by deciding to prohibit the loading of Nigerien oil from the Sèmè-Podji terminal as agreed in the conventions governing Benin and Niger. This measure was taken in response to the refusal of the Niamey authorities to open the borders between the two countries. If this retaliatory decision had the effect of making relations between the two countries more tense, Above all, it remains a standoff that costs both parties a lot of money.. But Wednesday 15 May 2024 suite à l’arrivée à Cotonou des représentants de l’entreprise Wapco en proposant au gouvernement de jouer à la médiation pour que les deux nations puissent s’entendre, le gouvernement béninois a encore montré sa bonne fois en autorisant le premier changement d’un pétrole nigérien. Under the agreements, and after discussions with representatives of the Chinese company Wapco in charge of operating the pipeline, Benin only authorized the loading of the first boat. This is a “one-off and provisional” authorization., avait affirmé Samou Séidou Adambi. According to the Beninese Minister of Energy and Mines, she is not a guarantor “to the behavior of Niger. Benin intends to keep its commitments under the agreement”.

According to the minister, the Wapco Company requested a Benin-Niger inter-State project management meeting to examine urgent issues related to the proper conduct of oil export operations. He confided that the Beninese authorities have given their agreement for the holding of this meeting.

Damien TOLOMISSI