ALGERIA · ANALYSIS
Key Facts
- What is happening Algeria launched works on its section of the pipeline on 4 June 2026 and, as of 2 November 2026, is sending troops to Niger to protect energy installations.
- Why it matters Europe plans to end Russian LNG imports from 1 January 2027, so any new pipeline supply would change its gas options.
- The numbers Design capacity is up to 30 billion cubic metres a year, and the cost is put at about US$13 billion in press reports as of 2026.
- Who is who Algeria’s Sonatrach, Nigeria’s NNPC and Niger’s SONIDEP are the developers, with Sonatrach set to finance and build Niger’s section.
- What to watch A start of physical works in Niger, which ThisDay reports is planned for early 2027 without an official date.
- What it means for you Treat the project as a long-dated supply option for Europe, not a factor in near-term gas prices or US LNG demand.
The Trans-Saharan gas pipeline is a planned link that would carry up to 30 billion cubic metres of Nigerian gas a year through Niger to Algeria and on to Europe, but it cannot supply Europe yet. For US readers it touches European gas prices, competition for LNG cargoes and the contest for influence in the Sahel.
The route crosses three countries and the Sahel, the semi-arid belt south of the Sahara where armed groups and military governments shape security. This analysis explains what the project is, who pays for it and what stands between it and European buyers, building on the Africa Intelligence Brief.
What the Pipeline Is and How It Got Here
The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, shortened to TSGP, would carry gas from Nigeria through Niger to Algeria. In Algeria it would connect at the Hassi R’Mel hub to the export network that already serves Europe, according to Enerdata, an energy research firm.
Algerian press summaries give a total length of 4,128 km, split into 1,037 km in Nigeria, 841 km in Niger and 2,310 km in Algeria. ThisDay, a Nigerian newspaper, gives 4,327 km from Warri in Nigeria to Hassi R’Mel, so the exact length differs by outlet.
The three countries signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding in 2022, according to Enerdata. A fifth ministerial steering committee met in Algiers in June 2026.
Relations with Niger cooled after the 2023 coup, which Algeria condemned, according to Ecofin Agency. General Abdourahamane Tiani, Niger’s head of state, made a two-day working visit to Algiers on 15 and 16 February 2026, and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune then said the Niger section would start after Ramadan.
The trigger for this analysis is Algeria’s move to send troops to Niger.
The Numbers and Where Construction Stands
Design capacity is up to 30 billion cubic metres (bcm) a year, according to Enerdata. Mohamed Arkab has announced two phases, with 20 bcm in the first phase and 30 bcm in the second.
- Cost: about US$13 billion, according to press reports. These are press figures, and no official budget or financing structure is confirmed.
- Algerian section: works launched on 4 June 2026 at Aoulef in Adrar province, according to Enerdata and algerie-eco. ThisDay gives this stretch as 1,210 km from the Niger border to Aoulef.
- Niger section: about 841 km, with topographical surveys announced by Niger’s petroleum minister on 26 September 2026 to start in early October, according to Maghreb Emergent. Enterprise reported in July 2026 that no physical work had started.
- Nigerian section: the 614 km Ajaokuta-Kaduna-Kano (AKK) line costs US$2.8 billion, and NNPC says its main line is complete, according to Nairametrics on 29 December 2025.
AKK is a domestic pipeline, and a link from Kano to Niger is not shown as built or financed in the sources reviewed. That gap means the Nigerian end of the route is the least documented part of the project.
Sonatrach, Algeria’s state energy company, is to finance and build Niger’s section, as Tebboune confirmed, according to Enerdata. ThisDay reports that Niger plans to start construction in early 2027.
Supply is a separate question. Nigeria’s gross gas production was about 7.93 billion cubic feet a day (bcf/d) in May 2026, with 3.07 bcf/d exported and 2.18 bcf/d sold at home, according to Enterprise.
A 30 bcm pipeline would need about 2.9 bcf/d, Enterprise calculates. Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan targets 10 bcf/d by 2027 and 12 bcf/d by 2030.
Who Is Who
Three companies and three governments carry the project. Each has a different stake in whether the gas ever flows.
- Sonatrach: Algeria’s state energy company, led by Chairman and CEO Nour Eddine Daoudi since 26 October 2025. It wants a second export route and is to build Niger’s section.
- NNPC: the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, Nigeria’s state oil and gas company. Sonatrach and NNPC together are reported to hold 90%, and the split between them is unconfirmed.
- SONIDEP: Niger’s participant, reported to hold 10%, according to Enerdata and Maghreb Emergent.
- Abdelmadjid Tebboune: Algeria’s president. Euronews quotes them saying, “We will protect Niger whatever it takes.”
- General Abdourahamane Tiani: Niger’s head of state, whose government has come under sustained attack through 2026, according to Il Sole 24 Ore.
- Mohamed Arkab: Algeria’s Minister of State and Minister of Hydrocarbons and Mines, who leads the pipeline file and launched the Algerian section at Aoulef on 4 June 2026.
Outside actors shape the setting. The Rio Times brief says the deployment may also respond to growing influence of the United Arab Emirates and Libya in the Sahel, while Il Sole 24 Ore frames it as a counterweight to Russia’s Africa Corps.
Stakes, Security and Scenarios
Europe and LNG
In 2025 Norway supplied 52.1% of EU pipeline-gas imports and Algeria 17.4%, according to Eurostat figures. The European Union has agreed to ban Russian LNG from 1 January 2027 and Russian pipeline gas from 30 September 2027, according to the ACER tracker, run by the EU energy regulators’ agency.
US LNG exports averaged 17.4 billion cubic feet a day in the first half of 2026, according to the US Energy Information Administration.A rival exists.
The African Atlantic Gas Pipeline from Morocco is 6,800 km, costs about US$26 billion and also has 30 bcm of capacity, with construction targeted for 2028 and first gas for 2031, according to Enterprise.
The Sahel Security Risk
Algeria’s parliament approved sending army units to Niger on 25 or 26 October 2026, as US News and Euronews date it differently. Troops are to be stationed at Madama near the Libyan border, with a mission to “protect energy installations”, in particular Sonatrach’s oil project in the Kafra field.
On 30 August, after an attempted coup on the night of 28–29 August, Algeria sent Su-30 fighters, an Il-78 refuelling aircraft and an Il-76 transport aircraft to Niamey. The route crosses the Agadez region and Niger’s Libya-facing north, and Madama is close to both.
Scenarios
These are scenarios, not forecasts. They show what could steady the project and what could tip it.
- Slow progress: the Algerian section is finished, Niger works start in 2027, and the Nigerian link and gas supply stay unresolved.
- Stabilising: Algeria’s troops keep the Niger corridor calm, a financing structure is published and a European buyer signs.
- Tipping: attacks on the corridor or a political change in Niamey halt the Niger section.
The first scenario is the least dramatic and fits the evidence so far. The other two depend on facts that are not yet public.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the pipeline is a slow supply option for Europe, not a near-term price factor. European buyers and US exporters sell into the same LNG market, and US exports averaged 17.4 billion cubic feet a day in the first half of 2026, according to the US Energy Information Administration.
Investors should treat the US$13 billion figure as a press estimate, since no financing structure is confirmed. Sahel security and Russian influence are the second thread, because Algeria’s deployment is read as a counterweight to Russia’s Africa Corps.
Our research found no direct Latin American link. The indirect channel is the global LNG market, where new pipeline gas for Europe could ease competition for cargoes, though no first-gas date exists.
What Is Not Known
Several basic facts are missing from public sources. We could not open primary documents from Sonatrach, NNPC, the Algerian presidency or Niger’s government.
- Troop numbers, start date and duration of the Algerian deployment, none of which has been announced, according to Euronews and Ecofin.
- A binding financing plan, a total cost and the equity split between Sonatrach and NNPC.
- A construction date for Niger, and whether the Nigeria-Niger link is funded.
- Whether Nigeria has gas surplus beyond domestic demand, and any sales agreement with a European buyer.
No source gives a first-gas date. Our own assessment, not an official one, is that 2030 or later looks likely.
What to Watch
- Ongoing: the AKK main line in Nigeria is complete, with connections to start in the earlier part of 2026, according to Nairametrics.
- 1 January 2027: the EU ban on Russian LNG begins.
- Early 2027: a possible start of works in Niger, with no confirmed date.
- 2027: Nigeria’s Gas Master Plan target of 10 bcf/d.
- 30 September 2027: the EU ban on Russian pipeline gas begins.
Watch for official figures on troop numbers and for any named European buyer. Either would be the first hard evidence on security and demand.
Related reading: Who Borders Algeria? Seven Neighbours and Gas Routes; Algeria Morocco Rivalry Flares Again in 2026; Algeria Cuts Ties With UAE, Closes Airspace; more from Algeria.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline?
It is a planned pipeline that would carry Nigerian gas through Niger to Algeria and on to Europe. Algerian press summaries give a length of 4,128 km, a design capacity of up to 30 bcm a year and a cost of about US$13 billion.
Who is building the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline?
The developers are Sonatrach of Algeria, NNPC of Nigeria and SONIDEP of Niger. Sonatrach and NNPC together are reported to hold 90% and SONIDEP 10%, and Sonatrach is to finance and build Niger’s section.
Where does construction stand in 2026?
Algeria launched works on its section on 4 June 2026 at Aoulef. Niger’s petroleum minister said on 26 September 2026 that surveys would begin in early October, and no physical work there had started as of July 2026, according to Enterprise.
Can the pipeline supply Europe?
Not yet. No source gives a first-gas date, no European anchor buyer has been named and no binding financing plan is confirmed.
Why is Algeria sending troops to Niger?
Algeria’s parliament approved the deployment on 25 or 26 October 2026, with a mission to protect energy installations such as the Kafra oil project. The Rio Times brief says it is also presented as protection for the pipeline.
Does the pipeline matter for US readers?
It is a long-dated European supply option, not a near-term factor for gas prices. It matters mainly through LNG competition, Sahel security and the contest with Russian influence.
Sources: riotimesonline.com, usnews.com, euronews.com, ecofinagency.com, enerdata.net, maghrebemergent.news. Retrieved 2 November 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief