Post #477

Algeria Remembers It Has Neighbors 👥 For long, Algeria found itself in a mysterious situation: formally one of Africa’s oil and gas leaders, yet not particularly eager to expand into neighboring markets—even though those neighbors would clearly not mind gaining new partners beyond the ever-present Chinese. Over a compact 5-day stretch from January 22 to 26, Algeria’s minister for hydrocarbons, Mohamed Arkab, managed to take several important steps to correct this imbalance. 🔸One such step was the Algerian minister’s visit to Chad on January 22–24. As before, concrete agreements focused on education and the exchange of expertise, although future involvement by Algeria’s Sonatrach in Chad’s oil production or refining cannot be ruled out. 🔸Immediately after Chad, Arkab headed to Niger, where discussions moved to more practical matters—the launch of production at Sonatrach’s long-standing Kafra project and issues surrounding theTrans-Saharan gas pipeline. The visit put an end to tensions that had emerged last spring when the Algerian army shot down a Malian drone. Promoting the start of production at the Kafra field clearly required fixing relations between the two countries. While the construction of mega-projects like the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline remains more in the realm of fantasy—sorry, Nigeria—Algeria is clearly intent on exporting its expertise and capital to neighboring regions, where countries such as Niger and Chad increasingly see Algeria as a way out of dependence on China amid mounting difficulties with Western partners. ➡️ Stay informed - @devilsbelow