NIAMEY, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- Algeria and Niger have held high-level talks to revive previously agreed cooperation in the hydrocarbons sector, including the strategic 13-billion-U.S.-dollar Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) project, Algerian Minister of State for Hydrocarbons and Mines Mohamed Arkab said on Monday.
Arkab, heading a large delegation to Niamey, met with Niger's Minister of Petroleum Hamad Tinni on reviving and implementing major joint energy projects.
The two sides reviewed several initiatives, particularly the one on the Kafra oil block in northern Niger, operated by Algeria's state-owned oil company SONATRACH. The project has estimated reserves of over 260 million barrels of oil.
Discussions also covered the TSGP, training, technical assistance, skills transfer, and strengthening cooperation between state-owned enterprises in both countries.
The TSGP, a 4,128-km pipeline, is designed to transport up to 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Nigeria, through Niger, to Algeria's Mediterranean coast for export to Europe. Both countries see it as a cornerstone for regional energy security and a boost to West and North Africa's gas exports.
The official working visit by the Algerian minister of state to Niamey was the first by a senior Algerian official to Niger after bilateral cooperation was suspended in April 2025, due to the diplomatic crisis between Algeria and the Alliance of Sahel States in which Niger is a member. ■