Oil & Gas

The first LNG shipment from Africa's major liquefied natural gas (LNG) project is nearing its debut, following the arrival of production equipment and the initiation of connections.

BP CEO Murray Ochinclus has announced that the Tortu Ahmeim Grand Project, located off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal, is set to commence production. According to the Washington-based Specialty Energy Platform, BP holds a 56% stake in the project's initial phase, with Cosmos Energy owning 28.6%, alongside Senegal's Petrosen and Mauritania's SMH.

The project is expected to produce up to 2.3 million tons of LNG annually over the next 20 years, positioning Mauritania and Senegal as significant players in the global LNG market. Despite previous delays and revised forecasts for the first shipment in 2024, progress continues.

On July 31, 2024, during a call to discuss the second-quarter earnings, Murray Ochinclus reported that BP is making steady progress. Gas production from the Tortu Ahmeim project is anticipated to start within the next 3 to 4 months. The floating production, storage, and unloading vessel, which arrived in May 2024 from China, will process approximately 500 million cubic feet of gas per day. The gas will be liquefied at the floating terminal, Jimmy, before being shipped.

Before the project can officially start, BP and its partners are working on connecting all equipment. Once leak tests are completed, the liquefaction units will begin operations. BP and Goular, responsible for delivering the floating terminal, have a 20-year lease for the LNG tanker Moss, which has been converted into Jimmy. Cosmos Energy previously identified the connection and startup of production as crucial, with expectations to begin LNG production in the third quarter of 2024.