China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) signed a construction and operation agreement with the government of Benin on 5 August for a crude oil pipeline from Agadem in Niger to Sèmè port in Benin. “The more than 1,900km pipeline, including 687km in Benin, is the largest cross-border crude pipeline invested by CNPC in Africa,” the company said.CNPC built a refinery at Zinder in 2011 to process crude from its Agadem fields but has been seeking to develop an export route so it can increase production.