APA-Dakar (Senegal) The Senegalese-Mauritanian Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project has reached a decisive milestone with the successful arrival of the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit at the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal.
On February 10, the Leopold Sedar Senghor (LSS) floating production, storage and offloading unit (FPSO) arrived in Senegal at the Sangomar oil field, 100 kilometers south of Dakar.
Today, the consortium comprising foreign companies BP and Kosmos Energy and Senegalese state-owned Petrosen and Mauritanian state-owned SMH announced the mooring of the floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) unit at the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project site on the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal.
“The safe arrival of the FLNG marks a significant milestone for phase 1 of the GTA project, demonstrating the unwavering commitment of our team and partners to bring this project to a safe conclusion. Despite the challenges encountered, including the Covid-19 pandemic, we are focused on the safe completion of the project, opening a new chapter in the energy landscape of Mauritania and Senegal,” said Emil Ismayilov, bp’s Senior Vice President for Mauritania and Senegal, quoted in a press release received by APA on Thursday.
Phase 1 of the GTA project is designed to produce around 2.3 million tonnes of LNG per year. This ground-breaking initiative is set to span more than two decades, propelling Mauritania and Senegal to become major hubs in the global LNG sector.
For a start, GTA will tap deepwater reservoirs around 120 km off the coast, using a subsea system to transport the gas to the FPSO. The FPSO initially processes the gas, removing the heavier hydrocarbon components.
The gas is then transported by pipeline to the FLNG, positioned at the GTA platform, where it is cryogenically cooled in the floating unit’s four liquefaction trains. It is then stored before being transferred to LNG carriers. Gimi has a storage capacity of up to 125,000 cubic meters of LNG.
The FLNG, owned and operated by Golar LNG, began its journey from Singapore in November 2023, covering 9,000 nautical miles to reach the site. Over 36 million hours were invested in its construction.
With wells located at water depths of up to 2,850 meters, the GTA Phase 1 development comprises the deepest subsea infrastructure in Africa.
This multi-billion-dollar project has been recognized as a National Project of Strategic Importance by the presidents of Mauritania and Senegal.
The arrival of FLNG marks a major step forward for the GTA project, offering promising economic prospects for the region while underscoring the ingenuity and collaboration required to bring such large-scale energy initiatives to fruition.
ARD/te/Los/fss/as/APA