CNPC to spread global reach with crude oil pipeline in West Africa

China National Petroleum Corp, the country's largest oil and gas producer in terms of output, has signed a contract with the government of Benin in West Africa to build and operate a crude oil pipeline in the region, the company said in a statement recently.

The 1,980-kilometer pipeline, which will start from the Agadem oilfield in neighboring Niger and end at the port of Seme Terminal in Benin, is the biggest investment in a cross-nation oil pipeline that CNPC has made in Africa, the company said.

The project will further facilitate the transportation of crude from Niger to the international market and promote the social and economic development of Benin, said Wang Yilin, chairman of CNPC.