Energy giant BP and its partner Kosmos Energy have signed a new production sharing contract with Mauritania for the BirAllah gas field that could feed an LNG export development.
Mauritania’s Ministry of Petroleum, Mines and Energy said in a statement that the agreement, which includes a period of 30 months, was signed on October 11.
According to the statement, the resources in Block C8, which contains the BirAllah and Orca discoveries, are larger than 50 trillion cubic feet of gas, more than the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field, which is under development.
Along operator BP and partner Kosmos, Mauritania’s SMHPM also holds a stake in Block C8.
In June this year, the exploration period of offshore Block C8 expired.
BirAllah is located about 60 kilometers north of the GTA development and about 100 kilometers offshore Mauritania.
FID in 2025
Under the new PSC, Mauritania would hold a 25 percent stake in the BirAllah development and work with BP on a plan to maximize local content, the statement said.
The ministry said that engineering studies would be completed within 30 months and that a final investment decision (FID) is targeted in the first half of 2025.
It added that that production from the BirAllah field would provide sufficient gas resources to realize gas liquefaction options to transform Mauritania’s economy and position the country in the future as a producer of gas.
10 million tons of LNG
Kosmos previously said the BirAllah has future development potential of around 10 million tons of LNG per year,.
The partners also plan to develop these resources in phases.
BP and Kosmos are currently working on the first phase of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim FLNG project located offshore Mauritania and Senegal, but they also plan the second phase as well.
The project includes the conversion of Golar LNG’s Gimi to a floating LNG producer at Singapore’s Keppel shipyard and the construction of the FPSO by Technip Energies at COSCO Shipping’s Qidong yard in China.
The 2.5 mtpa Gimi FLNG should start serving BP’s project under a 20-year deal next year.
