Ecofin Agency reports that, on September 25th, Libya’s Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun stated that he had commissioned and sent to the government a study suggesting an option to the planned trans-Saharan gas pipeline project to supply Europe with gas from Nigeria’s gas resources. In the scenario envisioned by the Libyan authorities, the suggested new line would begin in Nigeria, travel via Niger and Libya, and ultimately end in Europe. The route runs counter to the circuit decided by the stakeholders of the Trans-Saharan pipeline, which includes Algeria.
The agency added that the realization of this project may be hindered by the security situation in Libya which can be considered a significant obstacle to the state’s goals in the oil sector and is frequently used as a tool of political pressure by different factions and other protesters. Still, the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline, which will be linking Algeria, Niger, and Nigeria, is facing the same security concerns.
Ecofin Agency mentioned the construction Nigeria-Morocco pipeline, whose preliminary stage has advanced significantly in the last months, as another reason that could mean that this proposal can be pushed to the side due to Nigeria’s commitment to this infrastructure project.
Even if preliminary discussions on its feasibility have been undertaken with Nigeria, Tripoli claims that the likelihood that this potential Nigeria-Libya gas pipeline project will come to light is still rather slim, continued the agency. Still, the Nigeria-Libya gas pipeline project may become a reality if investors’ interest is sparked.