Kosmos Energy has begun commercial operations at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, located offshore Mauritania and Senegal.
The project’s floating LNG production unit, Gimi, has officially reached its commercial operations date under a 20-year Lease and Operate Agreement, according to a statement by Kosmos Energy, which is listed on both the NYSE and LSE.
The Gimi FLNG, which has a designed capacity of 2.7 million tonnes per year, is owned and operated by global maritime infrastructure firm Golar LNG. It is being leased to the GTA project as part of the midstream development.
Golar LNG described the achievement of commercial operations as a significant milestone, highlighting it as one of Africa’s most complex deepwater projects and a development that introduces Mauritania and Senegal into the LNG export market.
The upstream phase of the GTA project is being led by BP, which holds a 56% stake. Kosmos Energy owns 27%, while Senegal’s national oil company, Petrosen, holds 9%, and Mauritania’s Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures (SMH) owns 8%.
Ownership of the midstream infrastructure, including the FLNG facility, is structured under a joint venture. BP holds 60%, Kosmos owns 30%, and Petrosen and SMH share the remaining 10%.
The GTA project taps into natural gas reservoirs located about 120 kilometers offshore at a water depth of 2,850 meters, making it one of the most technically challenging LNG projects on the continent. Estimated recoverable gas reserves are approximately 15 trillion cubic feet, or 425 billion cubic meters. Both Mauritania and Senegal have declared it a project of strategic national importance.
The project reached its final investment decision for Phase 1 back in 2018. LNG production began in February 2025, with the first shipment completed in April.
Kosmos confirmed that the second and third LNG shipments were delivered in May and early June, while a fourth shipment is currently being loaded. The company expects the fifth shipment to leave at the start of the third quarter. Based on this schedule, Kosmos anticipates 3.5 cargoes to be delivered in the second quarter.
LNG production volumes have now ramped up to match the project’s contracted annual output of 2.4 million tonnes, which is about 90% of the plant’s nameplate capacity. Kosmos noted that reaching this milestone, along with the increasing frequency of shipments, reflects strong collaboration among all project partners and Golar LNG.
Phase 2 of the GTA project is expected to double output to 5 million tonnes per year, further solidifying Mauritania and Senegal’s role in the global LNG supply chain.
Kosmos continues to expand its footprint in Africa, drawing from oil and gas production in offshore Ghana, Equatorial Guinea, Mauritania, and Senegal. The company is also pursuing exploration opportunities in Namibia’s Orange Basin, where it is targeting significant oil discoveries.
source: www.intellinews.com
African Energy Council