Efforts are underway to repair a gas leak at the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) natural gas field, located off the coasts of Senegal and Mauritania, British energy company BP announced on Wednesday.
The field, which began operations on December 31, is jointly developed by BP, Kosmos Energy, Mauritania’s SMH, and Senegal’s state-owned Petrosen.
The leak was discovered on February 19 at one of the GTA wells, prompting a response from the Mauritanian environment ministry, which announced the ongoing investigation.
The leak, described as low-rate subsea gas bubbles, has been deemed unlikely to pose a risk to employees or result in significant environmental damage.
BP reassured that its environmental impact assessment showed negligible effects, and repairs are already underway with specialised equipment and personnel mobilised.
The three remaining wells at the site continue normal production while the issue is addressed.
Despite the leak, the GTA field is expected to produce about 2.5 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually, with high hopes that its output will contribute significantly to the economic growth of both Senegal and Mauritania.
The incident has raised concerns locally, with the Dakar-based think tank LEGS-Africa urging for transparency about the leak’s cause, extent, and potential impact.
