22 December 2018, News Wires — BP and its partners have given the green light for the development of a large gas project off the coast of Mauritania and Senegal, a first for the two West African nations.
The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim development, Africa’s deepest at 2 kilometres below the sea’s surface, will consist of a complex floating vessel with a plant to super-chill natural gas into liquid, BP said in a statement.
This is the second major LNG project to get the go-ahead this year as energy companies bet on a sharp rise in gas demand, with rival Shell also deciding to press on with the development of a plant in western Canada.
Work on the project will begin in the first quarter of 2019, and first gas is expected to be produced in 2022.
The Tortue go-ahead was given after the governments of Mauritania and Senegal reached an agreement over the sharing of production from the development.
BP is the project’s operator, with a 60 percent stake in the development in Senegal and 62 percent in Mauritania. Other partners include Kosmos Energy, with a 30 percent stake in Senegal and 28 percent in Mauritania.
Societe des Petroles du Senegal (PETROSEN) and Societe Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier (SMHPM) each hold a 10 percent stake on their side.
BP’s trading arm has been selected as the sole buyer of the project’s LNG.
– Reuters
