Another cornerstone in the partnership between Algeria and Niger was laid with the launch of drilling operations at the Kafra South-East 1 exploration well in Agadez, northern Niger. The National Drilling Company (Enafor), a subsidiary of Sonatrach, is executing the project, underscoring the strengthening of bilateral ties driven by the shared vision of both nations’ leaders and the international expansion of the state energy firm.
Following the inauguration of the solidarity power plant in Niamey on June 3, both nations have advanced their cooperation by initiating drilling at Kafra South-East 1, injecting fresh momentum into bilateral relations.
Mandated by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb co-chaired the official launch ceremony on Wednesday alongside his Nigerien counterpart, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine. Accompanied by the Minister of State, Minister of Petroleum, the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Algeria’s Ambassador to Niger, and the CEO of Sonatrach Group, the Prime Minister noted from Agadez that this operation represents a key milestone in the strategic partnership between the two brotherly nations.
“We gather today, two months and ten days after opening the power plant in Niamey, to lay another stone in the structure of our strategic partnership, initiated by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his brother, President Abdourahamane Tiani, during his historic visit to Algeria,” the Prime Minister stated in an address delivered alongside the ceremony.
“This integrated strategic vision took shape through an execution roadmap finalized at the second session of the Joint High Algerian-Nigerien Commission last March,” he specified, adding that drilling this well belongs to an in-depth exploration effort to evaluate the energy potential of this promising field ahead of future development and production phases.
A Logistics Challenge Overcome
Highlighting the project’s significance for Niger as it works to boost national hydrocarbon output, the Prime Minister underscored “the major logistical challenge and technical feat achieved by deploying the ENF-13 drilling rig—boasting 2,000 horsepower—and transporting it from Algeria to the Kafra site, requiring comprehensive administrative, logistical, and security coordination.”
Expressing gratitude to all parties who enabled the mission, Ghrieb affirmed that the project is the “result of a multidimensional partnership between Sonatrach Group and Sonidep,” Niger’s national oil company. He highlighted Sonatrach’s assistance to Sonidep in marketing crude oil and building the expertise and negotiation capacity of its personnel regarding resource valuation.
He further reiterated Algeria’s commitment to performing major maintenance work at the Zinder refinery and indicated plans to evaluate new oil blocks in Niger, particularly the Bilma block.
“Algeria’s goal extends beyond completing the Kafra project phases; it aims to build an integrated and sustainable industrial partnership across upstream and downstream oil and gas sectors, including through joint ventures,” the Prime Minister asserted, emphasizing a desire to develop Nigerien capacity across all stages of the petroleum industry.
He welcomed “Enafor’s commitment to progressively incorporate Nigerien companies, products, and services, as well as recruit local youth for the Kafra project while providing appropriate training.”
The two nations are building a “balanced, comprehensive, and fruitful” framework, the Prime Minister noted, adding that “this bilateral cooperation naturally extends into a multilateral dimension, notably through the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project, which has entered execution phases as a strategic link in African integration.”
Nigerien officials praised the strength of bilateral cooperation and the strategic weight of the venture, calling it “a major landmark in the partnership between the two countries.”