Senegal and Mauritania have reached a historic milestone with the start of operations of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project. Project developers bp and Kosmos Energy, along with Senegalese National Oil Company (NOC) Petrosen and Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), have officially opened the first well of the GTA project, signaling the start of technical operations and a new era of development focused on gas and energy security in West Africa.
As the spokesperson for the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) welcomes the step taken by the governments of Senegal and Mauritania. These countries’ national power companies and energy ministries have demonstrated the value of public-private collaboration, showing how strong partnerships, contracts and investment-friendly policies can position African nations in as gas producers on a global scale. We must give the governments of Senegal and Mauritania the credit they deserve: they have worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the GTA project. Thanks to this achievement, Senegal and Mauritania are poised to become international LNG exporters.
The GTA project began producing gas at 4 p.m. on December 31, 2024. The project will produce gas from reservoirs located 120 kilometers offshore, in 2,850 meters of water, using a four-way subsea system. well connected to the FPSO which will treat the fluids from the wells. Liquids will be offloaded into shuttle tankers, while gas will be transported by pipeline from the FPSO to a 2.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) FLNG vessel, moored behind a dedicated concrete breakwater . This structure will protect the FLNG vessel as well as various accommodation and service platforms, known as the GTA Central Terminal. The project developers aim to establish an offshore production complex, with development wells connected to an FPSO vessel, as well as the FLNG vessel and structures that will support it. This complex is already more than 75% complete and by this time next year it will be almost ready to enter service.
With 425 billion cubic meters (bcm), the GTA block is a large-scale deposit. With a production capacity of 2.5 mtpa in the first phase and 5 mtpa in the second – depending on whether the project developers decide to double the capacity of the FLNG infrastructure – the project offers crucial new supply for European consumers and a strategic source of income for Senegal and Mauritania. While the project will not necessarily fill the gap left by Russia – after export and regasification, the first phase of GTA will export the equivalent of 3.69 billion m3 – it will play a strategic role in diversifying global supply chains and in stimulating sustainable economic growth in Senegal and Mauritania. While the first phase of the project prioritizes exports, the second phase has a strong local gas component for both countries.
In the future, the start of GTA production is not only expected to strengthen West Africa’s potential as a West African oil and gas hub, but also attract a new round of actors keen to take advantage of growth opportunities in the region. This development will be reinforced by the commitment of Senegal and Mauritania to create a favorable environment for foreign investments. Both countries have made considerable progress in recent years to prioritize the sanctity of contracts, reforming their regulatory and legal frameworks while encouraging local participation and cross-border trade.
Senegal has made a point of updating its 1998 oil code to take into account the discovery of GTA and other large offshore deposits. Mauritania, for its part, has set itself the goal of remaining as open as possible to foreign investment and cooperating closely with international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The country is engaged in an ongoing process of reforms and is ready to work with the rest of the world to make the most of its energy resources. These efforts will result in a greater injection of capital and technology into the market and the respective governments of Senegal and Mauritania should be commended for their commitment to future projects and opportunities. To maintain the pace of oil and gas development, countries should further protect the sanctity of contracts, providing foreign investors with transparency, security and clarity.
“Projects such as GTA highlight the scale of opportunities that the African gas market offers investors. The project shows that gas is really good for Africa and will play a major role in accelerating energy security, boosting industrialization and transforming African economies. We must return to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Africans can be proud of bp, Kosmos Energy, Petrosen and SMH. The Senegalese and Mauritanian governments, their national electricity companies and their international partners have played a key role in the development of the GTA project and will continue to play a key role in the success of this project and the many gas developments that are expected to follow. said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.
