On Wednesday, Senegal and Mauritania announced that they had opened the first well at a field near their maritime boundary, bringing them one step closer to producing gas.
The offshore natural gas resource known as Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) is shared by both nations. It was co-developed by Senegal's state-owned Petrosen, Mauritanian hydrocarbons business SMH, American company Kosmos Energy, and British energy behemoth BP.
Its annual production target is around 2.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas. Production was originally scheduled to begin in late 2024, but it was moved to this year.
In a joint statement, the two nations stated that "the accomplishment of this significant milestone marks a major step towards the completion of the GTA project."
According to their statement, the first gas well's opening "paves the way for the start of the commercialisation of the gas planned very soon."
Production at the Sangomar offshore oil field, run by Australian company Woodside Energy, started in June of last year, bringing Senegal, one of the world's 25 least developed nations, into the club of oil producers.
One of Senegalese President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye's first pronouncements as head of state was an audit of the mining, oil, and gas industries. Faye won the election in March on a platform of radical change.
At a speech late Tuesday, he pledged to ensure the "optimal and transparent exploitation of oil and gas resources for the benefit of the national economy and current and future generations" in his New Year's message.
