LNG

Kosmos Energy expects material growth in 2026 from expanded gas production both in Ghana and at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) floating LNG project offshore Mauritania and Senegal.

A maiden LNG cargo has arrived at the 125,000 cubic meter KARMOL LNGT Powership Africa, moored off the Senegalese capital Dakar since June 2021. Arrival of the first cargo – onboard a TotalEnergies-chartered tanker – helps the African nation to convert several power stations from oil to natural gas.

KARMOL, a joint venture between Karpowership and Mitsui OSK Lines, is for long active in Senegal: the Turkish company is already operating a 235 MW powership since August 2019, which covers around 15% of the country’s electricity needs.

Technically speaking, KARMOL’s technique of regasifying LNG onboard a specially designed FSRU for direct use in a Karpowership helps accelerate the roll-out of LNG-to-Power projects in countries with no domestic gas resources.

Going forward, the Turkish-Japanese joint venture wants to convert its entire fleet of Powerships to LNG. To that end, the JV already has another FSRU under construction which will be released shortly and is destined to be deployed offshore Mozambique.

Gokhan Kocak, KARMOL board member, said the company has a “bold ambition” to offer LNG to Power across the world and especially within Africa. “The usage of FSRUs mean we can unlock the benefits of clean and affordable electricity for millions of people, even where countries have no domestic gas production or infrastructure,” he explained.

Karmol, the Turkish-Japanese joint venture, said its first floating storage regasification unit (FSRU) has been delivered by Sembcorp Marine in Singapore and will begin sea trials ahead of deployment in the West African state of Senegal in June.

Australian liquefied natural gas operator Woodside said it had submitted its plans for the Sangomar Field Development project offshore Senegal, the West African nation also participating in separate floating LNG projects led by BP of the UK.

The Greater Tortue-Ahmeyim Project, the floating liquefied natural gas development offshore the maritime boundaries of Mauritania and Senegal, is making advances as shareholder Kosmos Energy prepares to sell some of its stake.

US energy engineering company KBR was awarded the preliminary front-end engineering contract by BP of the UK for the second and third phases of the Tortue natural gas project being pursued with Kosmos Energy of the US that will underpin floating LNG production on the maritime border between the West African nations of Senegal and Mauritania.

Doris Engineering, the French energy contracts company with global operations, said it was awarded an advisory contract by the Senegalese Ministry of Petroleum for developments offshore the West African nation, including a BP-run floating LNG project and an exploration and production venture operated by Australian LNG producer Woodside.

Kosmos Energy, the partner of BP in two floating LNG projects offshore Senegal and Mauritania, said the front-end engineering and design for phase one was almost completed and the development plan had been submitted to both governments.

Leading Australian oil and gas company and LNG producer, Woodside Petroleum, is aiming to commercialise a huge field offshore Senegal by 2022 and said it could form the basis of a West African oil and natural gas hub.

Golar LNG, the fleet owner and project company, reported mixed fortunes for the floating production ventures it is involved in offshore four nations in West Africa, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Senegal and Mauritania.