Algeria's state-owned Sonatrach has began supplying Jet A1 aviation fuel to Niger on August 15, opening a new Sahel supply route and introducing a North African competitor to Nigeria's Dangote Refinery as it expands across West Africa.

The first contractual deliveries departed from Sonatrach's Adrar refinery, known as RA1D, under a sale-and-purchase agreement with Niger's state-owned oil company, SONIDEP. The development follows broader cooperation between the two companies; on August 14, they loaded their first jointly marketed cargo of Nigerien Meleck crude from the Sèmè terminal in Benin.

"Sonatrach described the deliveries as the effective start of commercial cooperation between Sonatrach and SONIDEP and said they were part of Algeria's broader push to strengthen commercial relations with Niger," the company said in an August 15 statement.

The group added that "the deal demonstrates its interest in direct cooperation with African oil and gas companies, particularly in the Sahel, and could pave the way for regular supplies of Algerian petroleum products to other countries in the region."

The move puts Sonatrach in direct competition with Nigeria's Dangote Petroleum Refinery, which has rapidly expanded its regional fuel exports. The 700,000-barrel-per-day facility produces 20 million litres of jet fuel daily, according to Dangote executives.

Jet fuel exports surged 770% over two years, reaching a record 158,000 barrels per day in April 2026, according to S&P Global data. The refinery has exported to European and US markets while supplying refined products to Cameroon, Ghana, Angola and South Africa.

Algeria's distributor Naftal has discussed supplying Niger with unleaded gasoline, Jet A1 and LPG. Algeria is also exploring similar cooperation with Burkina Faso and recently resumed drilling on the Kafra oil block in northern Niger.

If Sonatrach extends its supply model to other landlocked Sahel markets, a new contest could emerge between competing regional supply networks for West Africa's fuel market.

Sonatrach's first Jet A1 delivery does not yet amount to a direct challenge to Dangote's overall regional dominance. But the company's statement that the Niger deal could lead to "regular supplies of Algerian petroleum products to other countries in the region" signals Algeria is positioning itself for a larger role.