Mauritania granted Total Energy the rights to explore for oil and gas in block C15 in the coastal basin, as part of its strategy to develop its hydrocarbon resources.
The Ministry of Petroleum, Minerals and Energy said that the Council of Ministers approved, during its meeting yesterday, Thursday, in the city of Rosso, a draft law providing for the ratification of Annex No. 3 of the exploration and production contract related to block C15 of the coastal basin.
The Mauritanian Ministry of Petroleum had signed a contract on December 26, 2022 with Total Energy Mauritania, aimed at starting oil and gas exploration work in one of the coastal basin blocks.
The coastal basin’s oil capabilities
The Mauritanian Ministry of Petroleum confirmed that the approval of the Total Energy project comes due to the importance of strengthening and confirming the oil capabilities of the coastal basin, especially in light of the current international situation, which is characterized by a decrease in exploration activities.
She indicated that the government takes into account the importance of flexibility with companies that are developing exploration work in the blocks located in deep waters.
And she explained that given that the provisions of Article 20 of the Crude Oil Code related to the duration of the exploration period have been respected, the ratification of a draft law signing an appendix that amends the terms of the contract related to reorganizing the stages of the exploration period.
Reviving the Mauritanian oil sector
The Mauritanian Minister of Petroleum indicated that the Fanon project grants Total exploration and production rights in the block without inviting competition for a shallow area of the oil field.
She explained that the approval came in implementation of a promotional policy aimed at reviving the oil sector in Mauritania, among other things, and promoting exploration at the level of free sections, in a situation characterized by a decline in activities in this field.
She emphasized that flexibility in granting licenses allows Mauritania to make the best use of oil and gas resources to support the national economy and maintain an attractive position for foreign investment.
Mauritania aims to develop the oil and gas sector, in order to secure the country’s energy needs, and to be included in the list of exporting countries, relying on its huge reserves.
The Mauritanian Ministry of Petroleum indicated that the draft law allows non-compliance with the invitation to tender, related to block C2, of shallow waters from the coastal basin with an area estimated at 3,875 square kilometers.
oil in Mauritania
Mauritania’s oil reserves are estimated at 20 million barrels by the end of 2020, after reaching a peak of 100 million barrels in 2007, according to The Global Economy.
Total has been present in Mauritania for more than 30 years, and has a network of 38 service stations for the distribution of petroleum products.
Thanks to the continuous improvement of the business climate, Mauritania has strengthened its position as a privileged destination for investments in major long-term projects, which has allowed in recent years to intensify the exploration activities of several major oil companies, including Total.
Last year (2021), the Nouakchott government selected a consultative alliance to develop an oil and gas exploration plan in Mauritania, in order to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for the exploration, production and development of hydrocarbon resources in the country.
Mauritania intends to enter the club of natural gas producing countries, by starting production from the large turtle field project, Ahmeim, jointly with Senegal.
The big turtle project Ahimim
The Ministry of Petroleum announced 10 days ago the launch of the floating platform for production, storage and offloading of the large turtle project, Ahmeim LNG, which is being implemented by the British oil company BP, to the project site 40 km from the common coasts of Mauritania and Senegal.
The ship began its voyage on January 20, 2023 from Qidong, China. Its construction and installation took 3 and a half years, and it underwent more than 330,000 technical examinations, which resulted in the readiness of all its components to work.
This ship is the most prominent component of the project, which also includes the development of undersea gas fields and floating LNG facilities near the shore.
The first phase of the project is scheduled to produce more than 2.3 million tons of liquefied natural gas annually, and its resources are estimated to be sufficient to support production for more than 20 years.
The ship will treat natural gas to remove oils, water and other impurities, before exporting it through the pipeline heading to the floating platform for liquefied natural gas, 10 kilometers from the shore. The floating platform, through 8 processing and production units, will process about 500 million feet. cubic meters of gas per day.
Most of the gas will also be liquefied by floating LNG facilities, allowing for export to international markets, while some of it will be allocated to meet the growing domestic market needs.
The ship will settle at a depth of 120 meters of water and will include 140 people on board during normal operation. It is the size of two football fields and consists of 10 floors. Production is expected to start in the large turtle field, Ahmeem, at the end of this year.
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