As reported in one of our news articles in our Senegal Digest column (see Page 5), Senegal and Mauritania have achieved a historic milestone with the start of operations at their Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) natural gas offshore field. Project developers BP and Kosmos Energy, alongside Senegal’s national oil company (NOC) Petrosen and Mauritania’s NOC Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), have officially opened the first well of the GTA project, signaling the start of technical operations and a new era of gas-driven development and energy security in West Africa.
Energy analysts have applauded the milestone achieved by the governments of Senegal and Mauritania. The countries’ national oil companies and energy ministries have shown the value of public-private collaboration, demonstrating how strong partnerships, contracts and pro-investment policies can position African nations as global gas producers. The governments of Senegal and Mauritania should be given the credits they deserve: they have worked tirelessly to make sure the GTA project can succeed. With this achievement, Senegal and Mauritania are rapidly on their way to become international LNG exporters.
This comes months after Senegal started producing and exporting crude oil from its Sangomar fields which are situated near the maritime border with The Gambia. Many Gambians are asking why Senegal partnered with Mauritania in the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project and will now share the huge windfalls but did not have a similar arrangement with The Gambia for the Sangomar project? Perhaps the two cases are different kettles of fish. Whatever the case, experts at Gambia National Petroleum Corporation or the Ministry of Energy should enlighten us.
A natural follow-up question is: What is the state of our own prospects? It seems like all around us, every one is getting oil and gas. Are we dealing with the right prospectors? Are they putting in adequate investment? Or are we simply unlucky for now? By most indications, it is a question of when not if. But if the if is ever going to be a reality, we must make the right efforts.
Reports indicate that Greater Tortue Ahmeyim block is a large-scale deposit with a potential 425 billion cubic metres. The project offers a crucial new supply for European consumers and a strategic revenue source for Senegal and Mauritania. While the project’s first phase prioritises exports, the second phase it is said, will feature a strong local gas component for both nations. The signs look good for Mauritania and especially for our neighbour Senegal. By all accounts, Senegal is ready for a takeoff from the top rungs of the ladder while we have barely made it from the ground rung. If we do not act strategically and get our acts together NOW, we will be a Haiti to their Dominican Republic!
