Senegal - Mauritania: Final adjustments before gas production

The meeting in Dakar of the Strategic Committee in charge of monitoring the gas production project in the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas field at the end of January, co-chaired by the Mauritanian Minister of Petroleum, Mines and Energy, Mr Abdessalam Ould Mohamed Saleh, and his Senegalese counterpart, Ms Aïssatou Sophie Gladima, was undoubtedly one of those that could be described as a final adjustment.

The meeting, which included representatives of the companies bidding for the project, provided an opportunity to assess progress in the implementation of the first phase of work and to review the development plan for the second phase.

The aim is for the committee to ensure that all necessary procedures are properly implemented before entering the production stage.

The Strategic Committee also met with the members of the Advisory Committee responsible for the technical issues of the project.

During the meeting, the Consultative Committee presented a summary of the work of the specialised sub-committees, which have been working over the last few days to study and propose recommendations on the best solutions and options regarding, among other things, the local content of the project and the common future vision of the two countries, the study of the marine and environmental issues of the project and the memorandum of understanding between Mauritania and Senegal on the movement of people and equipment in the framework of the project.

The Mauritanian and Senegalese parties expressed their satisfaction with the progress of the first phase of the project, at a rate of around 88%.

Both parties also expressed their interest in the event related to the start-up of the FPSO production and storage platform sailing to the production site in the waters on the common border between the two countries.

In order to ensure that the practical and organisational measures necessary for the smooth running of the project, which is of strategic importance to both countries, are taken, it was agreed to set up cooperation frameworks involving the departments and ministries concerned in order to speed up joint work, facilitate the exchange of information and overcome any difficulties.

As a reminder, the strategic committee of the GTA gas project, chaired by the two oil ministers, meets every three months alternately in Dakar and Nouakchott, and the advisory committee attached to it is responsible for studying all technical issues, proposing priorities, studying and providing solutions related to the project.

The co-chairmanship of the consultative committee is held by the hydrocarbon managers of both countries and includes representatives of the relevant ministerial sectors of both countries (internal, external, financial - customs, fisheries - merchant marine, environment, transport, etc.)

The gas discovered on the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal could, in the next few years, be the trigger for a profound transformation of the economy of these two countries, which have decided to join forces by involving BP and Kosmos Energy in the entire process leading to the commercialisation of production from the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field, which is scheduled to take place, barring any further postponement, in 2023.

Gas discoveries have made Mauritania one of the preferred destinations for foreign investors, even leading some countries, such as the United Kingdom, to open their embassies in Nouakchott to strengthen promising diplomatic and economic relations.

Thus, after an investment of 5 billion and six years of development, the Great Turtle Ahmeyim (GTA) field is expected to come on stream in 2023 (after a slight delay due to Covid-19) and produce 2.5 million tonnes of gas per year. This is expected to rise to 5 million tonnes by 2027 and 10 million tonnes by 2030.

By Mohamed Sneïba, Nouakchott