Kosmos Energy Ltd. and its partners BP PLC, Societe Des Petroles Du Senegal, or Petrosen, and Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures et de Patrimoine Minier, approved the final investment decision for the first phase of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim project located in the borders of Mauritania and Senegal.

The project will produce gas from a deepwater subsea system and mid-water floating production storage and offloading, or FPSO, facility, to a floating liquefied natural gas facility at a hub on the Mauritania and Senegal maritime border. The first gas from the project is slated for the first half of 2022.

The FLNG facility is designed to provide around 2.5 million tons per year with total recoverable gas in the field estimated at around 15 trillion cubic feet. BP Gas Marketing won the bid for the LNG offtake from Greater Tortue Ahmeyim phase 1.

Subsequent phases of development will be undertaken to expand liquefaction capacity to approximately 10 million tons per annum, Kosmos said in a Dec. 21 news release. The company also believes there is potential for two additional gas hubs in the region, one near the Bir Allah discovery offshore Mauritania and the other near the Yakaar/Teranga discoveries offshore Senegal.

The consortium will continue to secure final regulatory and contract approvals for phase 1 of the project, and will then move into a detailed design and construction phase, awarding engineering, procurement, construction and installation contracts. Project execution activities are expected to begin in the first quarter of 2019.

BP is the operator of the project with a 61% interest. Kosmos owns a 29% stake, and Petrosen and SMHPM each hold a 5% stake in the project.