After seven years of preparation, something extraordinary is taking shape in the ocean between Mauritania and Senegal. A project that includes a breakwater, a submarine, a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) facility and a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel – each an engineering feat in its own right – is now underway as the finish line approaches for the development of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim Phase 1 megaproject.
GTA Phase 1, as it is known for short, is expected to produce up to 2.3 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per year, helping to meet global demand and boost the economies of these two developing economies.
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“This is a huge civil engineering project, two huge shipbuilding projects and a huge gas pipeline project all rolled into one, and it all has to be integrated safely and seamlessly,” said Alan Edwards, managing director of subsea projects at GTA.
Connecting the pieces
Once completed, the GTA will be operated by bp on behalf of its partners, including Kosmos Energy, PETROSEN and SMH. Here’s how the pieces of this project work together to produce gas and LNG:
The underwater gas pipelines and infrastructure, the deepest in Africa, will feed a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel that will process gas from wells located 2,800 meters underwater, about three times the height of the world’s largest skyscraper , the Burj Khalifa.
Built in China over six years, the FPSO arrived home in the GTA in May 2024, 40 kilometers offshore. With this last piece of the puzzle, the project can move towards commissioning and first gas production.
Underwater gas pipelines and infrastructure, the deepest in Africa, will power a floating production, storage and offloading vessel
“The scale of technology and engineering required for this project is unparalleled. The FPSO alone presented a number of unique challenges, from transporting it across the Atlantic from China to fighting devastating typhoons,” said Anil Senol, general project manager responsible for the transportation and installation of the FPSO.
Connected to the subsea network by flexible pipelines, the FPSO will remove water, other liquids and impurities before the gas is transferred via another pipeline to a floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) vessel, called Gimi, owned and operated by Golar LNG. for this.
