- Six years ago hydrocarbons and gas basins were discovered in the coastline shared between Mauritania and Senegal on the edge of the world’s largest cold-water coral reef rich in wildlife.
- The discovery triggered the $4.8bn Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project led by British oil and gas giant BP, in partnership with American deepwater exploration company Kosmos Energy and other firms.
Six years ago hydrocarbons and gas basins were discovered in the coastline shared between Mauritania and Senegal on the edge of the world’s largest cold-water coral reef rich in wild life. The discovery triggered the $4.8bn Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project led by British oil and gas giant BP, in partnership with American deepwater exploration company Kosmos Energy and other firms.
The proposed terminal will process huge volumes of gas from 2,850m under the ocean. This will be drilled through wells and moved to a modular floating LNG production system for export to Europe and beyond, and for domestic markets of Mauritania and Senegal. The first gas from GTA 1 is expected online in 2023, which is expected to slash electricity costs and earn rich revenue for the two countries. Mauritania’s economy has been highly dependent on iron ore mining and farming the 0.5% of its land that is suitable for agriculture but now houses the second-largest gas reserves. According to the investors, the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field spread over 33,000 sq km holds at least 15 trillion cubic feet of recoverable gas reserves, with 30 to 50-year production potential.
After the delay due to Covid, the first phase of the project commenced this year that includes BP to build a 1km long liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal 10km from the shoreline. Environmentalists say that GTA poses a huge risk to marine environment. Carcasses of several dolphins and turtles were washed up on the shores in Senegal in July. A rise in ocean acidification is also being studied. A Greenpeace UK-funded platform, says BP’s plans for GTA could use up 1% of the world’s remaining 1.5C carbon budget by 2100. The environmentalists allege that the project will also damage the 200,000-year-old cold-water coral reef ecosystem, which houses numerous fish, crab, giant clams and sponges, harming vulnerable shark, turtle, and whale species.
Some economists are of the view that the economic gains of the project will transform Mauritania as an energy hub leading to economic growth and energy security. With global emphasis on a green energy revolution, the importance of gas as a transition fuel will strengthen Mauritania’s position as a supplier. The country is already well placed on green hydrogen.
