Following the start of crude gas extraction just over a month ago at the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) site off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal, U.S. company Kosmos Energy has now announced the launch of liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.
The new phase initiated by Kosmos Energy in the development of the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) site involves liquefying the gas, making it easier to transport.
"The first liquefied natural gas (LNG) production has been completed at the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project," stated Kosmos Energy, the project operator alongside British BP, in a press release published on its website.
"The gas has been transferred to the floating LNG unit, and liquefaction has begun," the company added.
The GTA project operations, located along the Atlantic coast offshore Senegal and Mauritania, began on December 31, 2024. The announced production is expected to be around 2.5 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year.
In addition to BP and Kosmos Energy, the project is being developed in partnership with Senegal's state-owned oil company (Petrosen) and Mauritania’s National Hydrocarbons Company (SMH).
An LNG carrier is expected to arrive later this quarter to "export the first cargo of liquefied natural gas," according to Kosmos Energy's statement.
"The first LNG production is another major milestone for Kosmos, the GTA partnership, and the governments of Mauritania and Senegal," said Kosmos Energy CEO Andrew Inglis, as quoted in the release.
Repeatedly delayed, the development of the GTA site has been highly anticipated in Senegal and Mauritania, as it is expected to significantly transform the economies of these West African nations.
In his New Year’s address, Senegal’s newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who took office in March 2024, vowed to "ensure optimal and transparent exploitation of oil and gas resources for the benefit of the national economy and both present and future generations."
