BP picks KOTUG and African firm for work at its largest gas project

UK-headquartered energy giant BP has hired two companies, Dutch towage services provider Kotug and its Senegalese partner Maritalia, for the provision of marine services off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal at a gas project that is said to be the biggest one in the oil major’s portfolio.

Following a tender process, KOTUG International and its local Senegalese partner Maritalia got the marine services job on the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project offshore Mauritania and Senegal. While the former will deploy four RAstar 32m azimuthing stern drive (ASD), IMO Tier-III compliant tugboats to support the offshore hub terminal, FLNG, and FPSO operations, the latter will fulfill local content requirements.

BP operates the project with partners: Kosmos Energy, National Oil Companies Société des Pétroles du Sénégal (PETROSEN), and Société Mauritanienne Des Hydrocarbures (SMH). The deal KOTUG and Maritalia secured is described as a long-term fixed-term contract, with extension options, enabling them to provide marine services to one of Africa’s deepest subsea developments.

Ard-Jan Kooren, President and CEO of KOTUG, commented: “We are honoured to be selected for this prestigious project and to partner with Maritalia S.A. to provide essential marine services for the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project. This supports our extensive track record of operating for (F)LNG projects and we are proud to add another (F)LNG project to our existing portfolio.

“This collaboration not only underscores our commitment to delivering world-class marine solutions but also highlights our dedication to fostering local talent and contributing to the sustainable development of the Mauritanian and Senegalese economies. By investing in local knowledge and skills, we aim to create long-lasting value and ensure that our operations benefit the communities we serve.”

Moreover, KOTUG Senegal underlines its commitment to developing and optimizing local content, contributing to the employment and training of Mauritanian and Senegalese nationals, as illustrated by an initiative that includes collaboration with local suppliers and the use of local goods and services.

“A significant investment will be made in a technical knowledge transfer plan, where selected local candidates will be recruited, educated and trained intensively. These candidates will be trained to progress through the ranks until all positions on board the vessels are held by local crew, including all officers,” outlined KOTUG.

The Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project will produce gas from an ultra-deepwater subsea system and FPSO, which will process the gas. The gas will be exported through around a 35 km pipeline to an FLNG facility to be transferred to LNG carriers. To this end, Golar LNG’s FLNG Gimi arrived at the project location in January 2024 and the FPSO Tortue followed suit in June 2024. 

Alioune dit Ali Ndiaye, President of the Board of Maritalia, noted: “We are thrilled to collaborate with KOTUG International on the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project. This partnership underscores our commitment to the development and empowerment of local talent in Senegal and Mauritania.

“By focusing on local content, we aim to create significant opportunities for local employment and capacity building, ensuring that the benefits of this project are shared with our communities. Together, we will foster a sustainable and prosperous future for our region.”

BP’s GTA Phase 1 development, which is said to have the deepest subsea infrastructure in Africa with wells in water depths of up to 2,850 meters, is expected to produce around 2.3 million tons of LNG annually for over 20 years.

The operator perceives this gas development as the biggest project in its portfolio with enough gas to support production for at least 20 years. The total gas resources in the field are estimated to be around 15 trillion cubic feet.

Previously, the GTA Phase 1 was slated to deliver the first LNG around year-end 2023 but this was not achieved, thus, the first gas was bumped to 3Q 2024, due to unplanned issues with the original subsea contractor and FPSO delivery.

Located around 40 kilometers offshore on the maritime border of Mauritania and Senegal, the GTA project is expected to achieve its first LNG in the fourth quarter of 2024. After the mid-water FPSO Tortue has finished processing the gas and removing heavier hydrocarbon components, the gas will be transferred to the FLNG Gimi.

Even though most of the gas will be liquefied by the FLNG facilities, enabling export to international markets, some will be allocated to help meet growing demand in the two host countries. Allseas’ vessels were hired to execute the subsea pipelay scope. Rana Diving and Bourbon recently assisted Saipem in wrapping up subsea work at the GTA project.

The finalization of the GTA Phase 2 optimization work was anticipated last year to enable the start of the front end engineering design (FEED) work in 2023, but the work was postponed. While Phase 2 concept selection was made in February 2023, with the agreement to optimize a gravity-based structure concept, further progress on Phase 2 was deferred pending the start-up of Phase 1.

Last year, Kotug brought three additional vessels to Guyana to support tanker lifting operations for ExxonMobil’s first FPSOs duo stationed at the Stabroek block.