Senegal and neighbouring Mauritania kick off gas production

Senegal and neighbouring Mauritania have become gas producers, using the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim field which straddles the maritime border between the two countries.

British company BP, one of the businesses involved in the project, said in a press statement that it had ''started producing gas from the wells of the Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA)'' field.

Along with BP, US group Kosmos energy, Mauritania's SMH and Senegal's Petrosen will also be using the field.

After six years of planning, the project's launch has been welcomed by Senegal's Oil minister, who described it as ''historic''.

It's estimated that the field will produce some 2.5 million tonnes of liquified natural gas per year.

Although the country won't match the production levels of the world's gas heavyweights such as Russia and Qatar, it's hoping to generate billions of dollars from the field in order to transform its economy.