First drops of Nigerien oil gushed out at Sémè Kraké in Benin two weeks ago, Beninese president Patrice Talon now says Niger will not use its port to export the oil.

Talon claims his country exports large quantities of staples to Niger but because of the closed border on the Nigerien side, informal vendors profit when Beninese have to suffer a price increase.

Talon accused Nigerien authorities of rejecting formal cooperation. He has tied the opening of the Sémè port to the normalization of trade relations.

The pipeline, linking Koulele in Niger to the port of Seme in Benin will produce about 90,000 barrels per day, something that will transform Niger into a significant regional oil producer.

Niger currently pumps around 20,000 bpd of oil, most of it from China National Petroleum Corp. projects in the Agadem Rift Basin in the country’s southeast.