BP and its partners have officially announced the development plans for the second phase of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. The concept has been confirmed and will be evaluated further in the next stage. The partnership, which includes BP, PETROSEN, Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH), and Kosmos Energy, will consider a gravity-based structure (GBS) as the foundation for the GTA Phase 2 expansion project (GTA2), with a capacity range of 2.5-3.0 million tonnes per annum. GBS LNG developments have a fixed connection to the seabed and will provide both LNG storage and a base for liquefaction facilities.
“We aim to build on our strong collaboration with our partners, and the Governments of Mauritania and Senegal, to further develop a long-term, successful energy hub in West Africa. GTA continues to underpin our strategy to develop the most resilient hydrocarbons to help provide energy security today,” said Gordon Birrell, executive vice president for operations and production.
As part of the concept design, the GTA Phase 2 expansion project will involve the addition of new wells and subsea equipment, which will be integrated into the existing GTA infrastructure. In addition, the partnership will explore the possibility of utilizing electricity to power the LNG liquefaction process, thereby reducing operational emissions. Currently, BP and its partners are collaborating with contractors to advance the concept to the pre-FEED stage.
Gordon Birrell, bp’s executive vice president for operations and production, said: “We aim to build on our strong collaboration with our partners, and the Governments of Mauritania and Senegal, to further develop a long-term, successful energy hub in West Africa. GTA continues to underpin our strategy to develop the most resilient hydrocarbons to help provide energy security today.”
The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project is situated in one of the deepest subsea developments in Africa, at a distance of 120km offshore in a water depth of 2850m. The first phase of the project, which is presently being developed, will transport gas to an FPSO approximately 40km offshore, where the gas will be processed and liquids separated before being transported to floating LNG facilities situated 10km offshore. Upon completion, Phase 1 is anticipated to produce approximately 2.3 million tonnes of LNG annually.
In July 2021, the GTA project was declared a ‘National Project of Strategic Importance’ by the Presidents of Mauritania and Senegal, signifying the host governments’ commitment and the project’s importance to both countries. bp and the two governments have already established a long-term and comprehensive collaboration, which encompasses the GTA project and other potential energy developments. In October 2022, bp announced the signing of an exploration and production sharing agreement for the BirAllah gas resource in Mauritania. Additionally, bp is partnering with other firms to develop a significant gas-to-power initiative in Senegal, known as Yakaar Teranga.
Most recently, bp signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Government of Mauritania to undertake a program examining the potential for large-scale green hydrogen production in the country.
