Editing Economy of Niger (section)

====Oil====
{{Main|Oil and mining industry of Niger|Petroleum industry in Niger}}
[[File:Niger 2008 oilrig.jpg|thumb|A test [[oil well]] in the [[Tenere Desert]], January 2008]]
The history of oil prospecting and discovery goes back to the independence era with the first discovery of the Tintouma oil field in [[Madama]] in 1975.<ref name="oilhistory">{{cite web |url=http://www.lesahel.org/index.php/component/k2/item/1651-le-petrole-nigerien--dagadem-a-la-soraz |title=Le Petrole Nigerien: D'Agadem a la Soraz |access-date=2014-06-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120718/http://www.lesahel.org/index.php/component/k2/item/1651-le-petrole-nigerien--dagadem-a-la-soraz |archive-date=14 July 2014 |df=dmy-all |language=fr }}</ref> The Agadem basin in particular has attracted much attention since 1970 with Texaco and then Esso prospecting in the basin until 1980. Exploration permits on the same basin were held successively by [[Elf Aquitaine]] (1980–1985), [[Esso]]-Elf (1985–1998), Esso (1998–2002), and Esso-[[Petronas]] (2002–2006). While the reserves were estimated at 324 million barrels for oil and 10 billion m<sup>3</sup> for gas, Esso-Petronas relinquished the permit because it deemed the quantities too small for production.<ref name="oilhistory" />

With the sudden increase in oil price by 2008, this assessment was no longer true; consequently, the government transferred the Agadem block rights to [[CNPC]]. Niger announced that in exchange for the US$5&nbsp;billion investment, the Chinese company would build wells, 11 of which would open by 2012, a {{convert|20000|oilbbl/d|m3/d|adj=on}} [[SORAZ]] refinery near [[Zinder]], and a pipeline out of the nation. The government estimates the area has reserves of {{convert|324|Moilbbl|m3}}, and is seeking further oil in the [[Tenere Desert]] and near [[Bilma]]. Niger began producing its first barrels of oil in 2011.<ref>[https://archive.today/20130124233237/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hQcHDblgbEGuRpUaW4jhV6n_e5hw?docId=CNG.f2c02c700bcf33947db7403f3c93a92b.81 As refinery opens, Niger joins club of oil producers], Agence France-Presse. 28 November 2011.</ref> Government revenue from this is over $100 million per year, about 5% of Niger's GDP, and slightly higher than from the uranium extraction industry.<ref name=schritt-2018>{{cite journal |title=Crude Moves: Oil, Power and Politics in Niger |last1=Schritt |first1=Jannik |last2=Schareika |first2=Nikolaus |journal=Africa Spectrum |volume=53 |issue=2 |year=2018 |pages=65–89 |doi=10.1177/000203971805300204 |doi-access=free }}</ref>