Mauritania on the Cusp of a new Energy era

60 kilometers north of the Great Turtle Ahmeyim field, Mauritania’s coastal basin is hoarding the giant Birallah field, which is one of the best gas fields in the world, in terms of size and quality, with low carbon dioxide, reinforcing Mauritania’s aspirations to reserve an advanced position among the producing and exporting countries of liquefied natural gas.

The discovery of the Birallah field, the exclusive domain of the Mauritanian state, with reserves estimated at 50 to 80 trillion cubic feet of gas, dates back to 2015 by exploration by Kosmoss Energy.

Despite the large reserves of this liquefied natural gas field, only the Marsuin and Orca wells have yet been drilled in it, which confirms the urgent need for more information about its reserves, as well as detailed technical studies to develop the appropriate plan for its exploitation, which the Ministry of Energy and Oil is striving for, in order to achieve mutual benefit that guarantees satisfactory profits for investors.

In 2022, the Mauritanian government began talks with British Petroleum to reach a new contract that specifies the technical and economic conditions for the exploitation and development of the field, and despite progress in studying the plan, the company requested an extension of the contract for an additional 4 years, but the conditions were not met, which led to the termination of the contract in 2024, and prompted the Ministry of Energy and Oil to search for global partners with the necessary capabilities to develop the field.

Mauritania has undertaken several legal reforms to attract foreign investors, including simplifying procedures, facilitating tax exemptions, and ensuring legal protections; the new electricity law allows investors to enter the Mauritanian market easily, encourages public-private partnerships while taking into account environmental standards, and reforms aimed at making Mauritania a regional energy hub, especially in the fields of gas and renewable energy, by providing a safe and attractive investment environment.

Security and political stability is a decisive factor in attracting long-term investments, which Mauritania is well aware of, as it has worked to overcome all obstacles that may constitute a factor of instability or a source of concern for investors, so it has worked over the past years to adopt and embody an effective security approach, strengthen its political governance system and develop its legal arsenal, making it an oasis of security and stability, amid a turbulent regional and international environment.

In addition to the promising prospects of discoveries in Birallah and other dormant fields on the Mauritanian coast, Mauritania and its sister Senegal recently began the actual exploitation of the Ahmeyim Great Tortoise field, which is shared by the two countries, on which they pin great hopes for the development of national economies, the provision of huge revenues, job creation and the development of the local oil and gas industry, while providing for the local needs necessary to promote industrialization and reduce its costs.

In parallel with its efforts to exploit its gas resources, Mauritania is working to exploit its renewable energy reserves to produce green hydrogen, taking advantage of its strategic location and proximity to European markets, which will make it one of the most important exporters of clean energy.

In order to reduce the cost of producing electricity from gas produced from the Great Turtle Ahmeyim field, the government is working on building gas-fired power plants to provide reliable and low-cost energy, which will open up promising prospects for Mauritania in local manufacturing. The path to our country’s ambition to become an energy pole requires the provision of infrastructure that supports growth and the development of major energy projects, such as roads, ports and electricity networks, which the government is working to achieve in cooperation with some partners.

According to the Ministry of Energy and Oil, Mauritania aims to achieve universal access to sustainable energy by 2030, while attracting ambitious investments to build a huge infrastructure that qualifies it to become a regional energy pole.

Between the giant Birallah field and the Great Turtle Field Ahmeyim, Mauritania stands on the cusp of a new energy transition that promises a promising future, motivated by the great ambition to become a regional energy hub.

Despite the challenges the country faces, strong political will and bold legal reforms, as well as security and political stability, augur well for a bright future.

Mauritania seeks to exploit its renewable gas and energy resources, with the support of international investments and partnerships, to achieve sustainable development and diversify the sources of the national economy, for the benefit of the population, contribute to strengthening global energy security, and make it a regional hub for renewable energy.