The Algerian Minister of State for Hydrocarbons, Mohamed Arkab, held a virtual meeting on Sunday with his Nigerien counterpart, Hamadou Tini, to discuss ways of deepening bilateral cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector.
Presented in an official statement, the discussions brought together senior officials from both ministries, focusing on Sonatrach’s recent activities in Niger, particularly within the Kafra oil field. This comes after the signing of an Algeria-Niger hydrocarbon cooperation memorandum on March 24, 2026, during the second session of the Algeria-Niger Joint High Commission for Cooperation, co-chaired by Algerian Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb and his Nigerien counterpart, Ali Lamine Zeine.
The talks centered on evaluating the progress of development and exploration at the Kafra block, assessing coordination between Sonatrach International Production and Exploration Corporation (SIPEX) and Niger’s SONIDEP.
Both sides emphasized the need to involve local Nigerian companies in energy projects to foster economic growth through local content initiatives, the statement added.
Further discussions explored ways to enhance cooperation in training, technology transfer, and expertise exchange. Plans include organizing training programs for engineers and technicians, as well as strengthening partnerships between national companies like Sonatrach, SONIDEP, and Naftal in areas such as transport, storage, distribution, and securing petroleum supply chains.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to advancing bilateral hydrocarbon cooperation and implementing agreed-upon projects to support economic development and regional energy integration.