Senegal and Mauritania have jointly launched exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) offshore project, marking a significant energy milestone for West Africa.
Presidents Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal and Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani of Mauritania presided over the ceremony on Thursday, held at the GTA hub approximately 120 kilometers off their shared coastline. Senior representatives from BP and Kosmos Energy, the lead operators of the project, joined the inauguration.
The GTA Phase One project, which began production in April, is expected to produce up to 2.3 million tonnes of LNG annually. The field lies in ultra-deep waters reaching depths of 2,850 meters and is being developed through a bilateral agreement between the two countries.
“This is a defining moment not only for Senegal and Mauritania but for the entire sub-region,” President Faye said during a tour of the offshore terminal. “At this crossroads between two nations, we are ushering in a new chapter for energy development in West Africa.”
Faye revealed that by 2027, up to a quarter of the gas output from Phase One could be directed toward local markets in an effort to ease energy costs and strengthen domestic supply. “We are not content to remain passive observers of progress—we are choosing to shape it,” he added.
The GTA development is a collaborative venture between BP, Kosmos Energy, Senegal’s state-owned PETROSEN, and Mauritania’s hydrocarbons agency SMH. The project is widely seen as a model for cross-border cooperation in natural resource management and is expected to play a key role in both countries’ long-term energy strategies.
President Ghazouani echoed the sentiment, underscoring the importance of regional integration in unlocking shared prosperity. “This is more than a gas field—it’s a symbol of what our nations can achieve together,” he said.
With the first shipments now underway, the GTA project places Senegal and Mauritania among a growing group of African nations leveraging natural gas for economic transformation, positioning West Africa as a rising force in global energy markets.