Senegal and Mauritania have achieved a historic milestone with the start of operations at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) development. Project developers bp and Kosmos Energy, alongside Senegal’s national oil company (NOC) Petrosen and Mauritania’s NOC Societe 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 gas-driven development and energy security in West Africa.

As the voice of the African energy sector, the African Energy Chamber (AEC) applauds the milestone achieved by the governments of Senegal and Mauritania. The country’s NOCs and energy ministries have shown the value of public-private collaboration, demonstrating how strong partnerships, contracts and pro-investment policies can position African nations as global gas producers. We should give the governments of Senegal and Mauritania the credit they deserve: they have worked tirelessly to make sure the GTA project can succeed. With this achievement, Senegal and Mauritania are rapidly on their way to become international LNG exporters.

The GTA development achieved first gas at 16:00 on December 31, 2024. The project will produce gas from reservoirs located 120 kilometers offshore in 2,850 meters of water, through a four-well subsea system tied back to the FPSO which will process the well fluids. Liquids will be offloaded to shuttle tankers, while gas will be transported by pipeline from the FPSO to a 2.5 million tons per annum (mtpa) FLNG vessel, moored behind a dedicated concrete breakwater. This structure will protect the FLNG vessel plus various accommodation and utility platforms, together known as the GTA hub terminal. The project developers aim to establish an offshore production complex, with development wells connected to an FPSO vessel, as well as the FLNG ship and the structures that will support it. That complex is already more than 75% complete, and by this time next year, it will be nearly ready to start operating.

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 phase – dependent on whether the project developers decide to double the FLNG infrastructure capacity -, the project offers a crucial new supply for European consumers and a strategic revenue source for Senegal and Mauritania. While the project won’t necessarily be filling the gap left by Russia – after export and regasification, the first phase of GTA will export the equivalent of 3.69 bcm – it will play a strategic part in diversifying global supply chains and driving sustainable economic growth in Senegal and Mauritania. While the project’s first phase prioritizes exports, the second phase features a strong local gas component for both nations.

Looking ahead, the start of production at GTA is poised to not only reinforce West Africa’s potential as an oil and gas hub in West Africa, but attract a fresh slate of players to capitalize on growth opportunities in the region. This will be further supported by Senegal and Mauritania’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for foreign investment. Both countries have made significant strides in recent years to prioritize the sanctity of contracts, reform their regulatory and legal frameworks while enticing local participation and cross-border commerce.

Senegal has made a point of updating its 1998 Petroleum Code, to take the discovery of GTA and other large offshore fields into account. Mauritania, meanwhile, has set goals 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 involved in an ongoing process of reform and it’s ready to work with the rest of the world to make the most of its energy resources. These efforts will culminate in greater capital and technology injection across 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, the countries should further protect the sanctity of contracts, providing foreign investors with transparency, security and clarity.

“Projects such as GTA highlight the scale of opportunity that Africa’s gas market offers investors. The project shows that gas is truly good for Africa and will play a major part in accelerating energy security, boosting industrialization and transforming Africa’s economies. Credit must be given where credit is due. Africans should be proud of bp, Kosmos Energy, Petrosen and SMH. The Senegalese government, Mauritanian government, their NOCs and international partners have been instrumental in the development of the GTA project and will continue to be key in driving the success of this and the many gas developments expected to follow,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC.