bp transports first LNG from Greater Tortue project, offshore Senegal

(Bloomberg) – bp Plc started liquefied natural gas shipments from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project off Senegal and Mauritania, bolstering global supplies following a halt to Russian gas transit via Ukraine.

About 174,000 cubic meters of the fuel was loaded onto the British Sponsor from a floating LNG vessel 10 kilometers (6 miles) off the West African coast, bp and its partner Kosmos Energy said in statements on Thursday.

The shipment marks bp’s third upstream startup this year, as the company bids to expand oil and gas production. The $4.8 billion project is expected to produce about 2.4 million tons of LNG a year, as Europe seeks to replenish its depleted gas stockpiles before the next heating season. 

“This first cargo from Mauritania and Senegal marks a significant new supply for global energy markets,” BP said.

The British Sponsor has yet to change its destination from GTA, according to ship tracking data. A second LNG carrier is waiting near the terminal in preparation for another cargo lifting, Kosmos said.

Following years of delays, GTA will also boost economic growth in the two African nations.

Image courtesy of African Energy Chamber