In view of oil and gas production in 2023 Senegal’s Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) welcomed the progress in the development of the Sangomar and Grande Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) projects.
In Senegal, prospects for oil and gas development have raised many hopes. Within two years, the country may enter a new era. The recoverable reserves of the Sangomar field, discovered in 2014, are estimated at nearly 630 million barrels of oil. The site also contains associated and non-associated natural gas of around 113 billion cubic metres.
According to an EITI press release, “the drilling campaign for the Sangomar field development wells began on Wednesday 14 July 2021.”
During phase 1 of the project, 21 wells will be drilled by two drillships: Diamond Offshore’s Ocean BlackRhino and Ocean BlackHawk. The former has been in Senegalese waters since 8 July 2021. The second will arrive in mid-2022.
“A fleet of three supply vessels and three helicopters will support the drillships, carrying materials, equipment and personnel for the campaign. The vessels will operate from Senegal’s supply base at Jetty 1 in the Port of Dakar,” the source said. Ultimately, these wells should enable Senegal to produce nearly 100,000 barrels of oil per day from the fourth quarter of 2023.
Like the Sangomar project, Grande Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) “is also on schedule,” according to EITI. Straddling Senegal and Mauritania, 125 kilometres off both coasts, the field is estimated to contain around 450 billion cubic metres of gas reserves.
To secure the offshore terminal, a breakwater will be built with 21 caissons. These concrete structures are 55 metres long, 28 metres wide and 33 metres high. Each empty caisson weighs 16,000 tonnes, but when filled with sand, the weight should reach 74,525 tonnes.
According to the document, “three caissons, which were at anchor in the waters of Ndiago (Mauritania), were installed during July 2021.” Eiffage Marine manufactures the caissons at Jetty 8 of the Port of Dakar. The thirteenth caisson is currently under construction at this site, where more than 1,500 Senegalese are working. At sea, the caissons will rest on 2.5 million tonnes of rock extracted in Mauritania.
ID/lb/abj/APA