Niger expects to export its first barrels of crude oil through a new pipeline connecting the country’s Agadem oilfield to the Benin port of Cotonou. The project, backed by PetroChina, was officially launched on November 1st and is expected to start commercial operations in January.

In an interview on Niger’s RTS channel on Sunday, the country’s military leader, Abdourahamane Tiani, announced that storage tanks in Cotonou are currently being filled and should be ready by January. Tiani also revealed that Niger will receive a 25.4% share of the 90,000 barrels per day (bbl/d) that will be exported through the pipeline.

Currently, Niger has a small oil refinery with a capacity of around 20,000 bbl/d, which mainly supplies the domestic fuel market. However, Tiani stated that the country’s goal is to refine more oil locally and reduce its dependence on imported fuel.

He also emphasized the importance of utilizing Niger’s natural resources for the benefit of its own people.

“Our desire is not to simply market crude oil. We want to move towards a refinery that will process Nigerien crude on Nigerien soil,” said Tiani. He also mentioned that Niger has not fully benefited from its natural resources.