The specificity of crude oil exploitation in Chad is due to the specific institutional and geographic context. The World Bank, the Chadian and Cameroonian governments, and a consortium of transnational firms have expressed their intention to use the black gold as a means of laying the foundations for sustainable development. The idea is to situate the oil extraction system in a cotton producing savannah in the heart of central Africa. The construction of the infrastructure led to an initial peak in activities, but once in operation, the oil industry only requires a limited workforce, and the oil revenue is redistributed by the State. At least for now, the impact of the system is barely perceptible. However, considering the longer mining cycle, success will depend on the dynamic relationships between the regional environment, the oil extraction system and the State.