Page 12 - AfrOil Week 37 2022

AfrOil PROJECTS & COMPANIES AfrOil

Senegal, Mauritania closer to LNG production

as FPSO for GTA block is completed

WEST AFRICA SENEGAL and Mauritania have moved a step to create a new energy hub in Africa,” it said.
closer to launching LNG production with the The statement did not specify when the ves-
completion of the floating production, storage sel was expected to begin its voyage to the GTA
and off-loading (FPSO) unit that will be installed block. Kosmos Energy (US), BP’s partner in the
at the offshore Greater Tortue/Ahmeyim (GTA) project, reported recently that the FPSO was not
block, operated by BP (UK). expected to depart the shipyard until the fourth
Cosco Shipping Heavy Industry (CSHI), a quarter of the year because of delays related to
subsidiary of China’s COSCO, finished work on the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It also
the FPSO at its shipyard in Qidong last week, stressed, though, that these delays were not
marking the milestone with a ceremony on Sep- expected to affect plans for launching gas pro-
tember 9. CSHI noted in a statement that the duction at the block in the third quarter of 2023
event had been attended by representatives of and then starting LNG production in the fourth
BP and TechnipFMC (US/France), its engineer- quarter of the same year.
ing, procurement, construction, installation and GTA, which straddles the offshore border
construction (EPCIC) contractor. between Mauritania and Senegal, contains
The Chinese company built the topside mod- around 15 trillion cubic feet (425bn cubic
ules for the FPSO and was also responsible for metres) of gas, enough to support an export-ori-
engineering, procurement and construction of ented LNG project as well as pipeline deliveries
the vessel’s main hull and living quarters, which to Senegal’s domestic market. Kosmos discov-
can accommodate up to 140 people. The ship ered gas at the block in 2015 and then teamed up
is 270 metres long, 54.5 metres wide and 31.5 with BP for the project in 2016.
metres deep. The two companies made an FID on Phase 1
Technip Energies, which was spun off from of the project in late 2018. To support LNG pro-
TechnipFMC in February 2021, confirmed the duction, they have contracted Bermuda-regis-
completion of the FPSO in a separate statement tered Golar LNG to convert the Gimi LNG
posted on social media sites. “This FPSO is a key tanker into a floating LNG (FLNG) vessel with
part of the Greater Tortue/Ahmeyim LNG pro- a Phase 1 production capacity of 2.5mn tonnes
ject and will soon sail to Mauritania and Senegal per year (tpy).™

NEWS IN BRIEF

INVESTMENT for an extension would not be considered Pancontinental also holds a 75% interest
by the Ministry until the partners were in and Operatorship of the PEL 87 licence.
Pancontinental Energy – alignment on a way forward. The license, if Pancontinental has mapped the very large
Saturn turbidite complex in PEL 87 at the
extended, would expire 28 March 2023. Any
Namibia PEL 37 potential additional investor would also be same stratigraphic level and at approximately
the same burial depth as the Venus discovery.
deterred by the short time left in the license.
Pancontinental Energy’s 66.67% subsidiary, Pancontinental Namibia has now decided to PANCONTINENTAL ENERGY, September 09,
Pancontinental Namibia, has decided to apply for a new longer-term licence, based on 2022
withdraw from the process of seeking an the facts that the current licence has little time
extension to the original PEL 37 Licence left to do any meaningful work or to attract a
offshore Namibia. Pancontinental has held the farminee. PERFORMANCE
licence since March 28, 2011. Offshore Namibia has become a focus
Since the withdrawal of farminee Tullow of oil industry attention after two major oil Libya’s crude oil output
on 21 March 2021, Pancontinental Namibia discoveries, by Total and Shell, in the Orange
has been endeavouring to reach agreement Basin in February this year. While the PEL jumps to 1.205mn bpd
with its remaining joint venture partner and to 37 Licence lies in the Walvis Basin some
seek an extension from the Ministry to enable distance to the north of the discoveries, there Libya’s crude oil production jumped
a review the Cormorant well data. However, are certain geological similarities between the to 1.205mn barrels per day (bpd), the
Pancontinental has not been able to reach two basins. state-owned energy utility National Oil
agreement with the remaining joint venture In the Orange Basin itself and on- Corporation (NOC) announced on Sunday,
partner on a way forward and the application trend to Total’s major Venus oil discovery, September 11.

P12 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 37 15•September•2022