A potential gas leak has been identified in a well at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project, located off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal. UK operator BP, which is piloting this strategic mega-project, reported observing subsea gas "bubbles" emanating from the A02 well during a planned commissioning test.
In a statement to Reuters, BP downplayed the incident, saying it would not compromise production or the environment. "We have a plan to stop the bubbles", the company said, adding that a response mechanism had been activated, involving the dispatch of specialist equipment and dedicated personnel to the site. Last week, a plane carrying equipment to plug the leak was dispatched to speed up repairs.
The GTA project, which stretches along the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal, is being developed by BP in partnership with the American company Kosmos Energy, and the national companies Petrosen (Senegal) and SMH (Mauritania), which are minority shareholders. The field, considered one of the most ambitious in Africa, delivered its first gas in early 2025 and aims to produce 2.3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year in its first phase.
Interviewed by Reuters, Ahmed Vall Ould Mohameden, advisor to the Mauritanian oil ministry, put the seriousness of the situation into perspective, stressing that this type of incident can occur at the start-up of a project of this scale. "These anomalies are common at the start of production and can be corrected quickly", he said.
The well in question is part of a complex system located at extreme depths of up to 2,850 metres below the surface of the ocean, making it one of the deepest gas developments on the continent. The extracted gas is transported to a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit 40 kilometres offshore, where it is treated to remove water, condensate and impurities. It is then transported by pipeline to a Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) vessel 10 kilometres offshore for liquefaction and storage prior to export. Part of the production is also reserved for the growing energy consumption of the two host countries.
Launched as an economic driver for the region, the GTA project is set to become a major player in the global LNG market in the coming years. BP presents it as a technological feat, combining state-of-the-art subsea infrastructure and sophisticated logistics to exploit gas resources located in extreme conditions.
Despite this incident, the operator is confident that operations will continue. All eyes remain on GTA's ability to deliver on its promises, both for export and for local energy supply, at a time when demand for natural gas continues to grow on a global scale.