The second day of the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2021 Conference and Exhibition featured a panel discussion under the theme ‘The Golden Age of Gas in the MSGBC Basin,’ with panelists focusing on topics such as gas-to-power planning and strategies for better regional collaboration on energy matters
With the landmark Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) and Sangomar oil field developments both coming online in 2023, the panel focused on how to best strategise around the sizeable gas reserves available within the MSGBC Basin.
“The MSGBC basin has become a basin that matters in the global oil and gas landscape, even if it is still today a frontier area. We have an enormous potential and we must find the right solutions to use these resources for the development of the country, as we are in an ideal position to export to American and European markets,” stated Chemsdine Sow Deina, exploration director at SMHPM.
The large-scale gas discoveries made in the offshore waters straddling the maritime border of Senegal and Mauritania have resulted in an influx of foreign direct investment, positioning the west-African region to capitalise on its resources, ushering a golden age for natural gas development in Africa.
“It is clear that these gas projects can have multiple effects on our economy. Naturally, their production capacity far outpaces our domestic needs, so the strategy must be directed at LNG production, but we also explore every other option for gas valorisation. However, it is clear that the gas-to-power solutions are truly the ones that wlll have the most profound impact in the economic development of the country,” explained Thierno Seydou Ly, director of hydrocarbon, Ministry of Petroleum and Energies, Senegal.
Under the theme Lessons for Regional Collaboration and Development, the panel discussion offered insight into the long-term strategies implemented by the countries that make up the MSGBC Basin – Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry.
