The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) conventional gas development has been awarded the Gas Monetization Strategy of the Year award at this year’s African Energy Week (AEW): Invest in African Energies 2025 conference, recognizing its pioneering role in transforming the MSGBC Basin into a globally significant gas-exporting region. The accolade celebrates the project’s successful achievement of first gas and commercial operations in 2025, marking the start of LNG exports from Mauritania and Senegal and setting a scalable model for cross-border energy development across Africa.

Located on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal, the GTA project is one of Africa’s deepest offshore gas developments, with reserves estimated at over 15 trillion cubic feet. Operated by energy major bp in partnership with exploration and production company Kosmos Energy, Mauritania’s state-owned SMH and Senegal’s Petrosen, the project officially began flowing gas in January 2025, reaching its commercial operations date in June 2025. The milestone signaled the start of LNG exports from the Gimi FLNG vessel, developed and operated by Golar LNG under a 20-year contract.

With 11 cargoes exported so far and another condensate cargo expected shortly, Phase 1 of the project is designed to produce 2.3 million tons of LNG per year, with future phases expected to significantly expand capacity. The development integrates a FPSO vessel for initial gas processing, which transfers purified gas via pipeline to the Gimi FLNG, where it is cooled, liquefied and stored for export. Together, these systems create a modular and replicable LNG export model adaptable to future gas discoveries across the MSGBC region.

The project’s success is the result of a coordinated engineering and early-stage design by multiple partners. Gas produced from the GTA project will supply both domestic markets and global LNG demand, underpinning economic growth, industrial development and energy security in both Mauritania and Senegal. The project has already established a new benchmark for regional cooperation and local content, creating thousands of jobs and positioning the two countries as key players in the emerging global gas market.

“The GTA project demonstrates how regional collaboration, private investment and technical excellence can turn vast gas reserves into shared prosperity for generations to come,” states NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber.