The recent arrival of the floating production storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel marks a significant milestone for the ongoing development of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project at the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal.
This critical component, constructed at China’s COSCO Qidong shipyard, has been relocated to its final position, where it will play a central role in the production of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first phase of the GTA project. With an expected output of 2.3 million tonnes per annum, this achievement underscores BP’s commitment to long-term energy investments.
David Campbell, BP’s senior vice-president for Mauritania and Senegal, highlighted the importance of this achievement, emphasizing its pivotal role in unlocking gas resources for both nations. In line with this, the FPSO will be managed by BP in collaboration with project partners, including Société des Pétroles du Sénégal, Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures, and Kosmos Energy.
A cooperation agreement signed in 2018 solidified the partnership between the two West African nations, enabling them to jointly pursue the cross-border gas project and equally share the resulting resources and revenues. With an estimated 15 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas resources, the GTA field spans across the offshore blocks of both Mauritania and Senegal, highlighting the potential for significant gas production in the region.
Standing at an impressive ten-storeys high, the FPSO will accommodate a crew of approximately 140 individuals during regular operations. Tasked with processing over 500 million standard cubic feet of gas per day, the vessel will play a crucial role in purifying the extracted gas before transferring it to the floating LNG vessel located at the hub terminal, 10km offshore.
Notably, a portion of the gas will be allocated to meet the rising energy demand within Mauritania and Senegal. This project stands to significantly enhance the gas production capabilities of both nations, which have been relatively modest in scale thus far.
The arrival of the FPSO vessel represents a major step forward in the Mauritania-Senegal gas project, signaling a promising future for the region’s hydrocarbon sector. With its vast potential and strategic significance, the GTA project is set to play a vital role in driving the long-term energy agenda for Mauritania and Senegal.