The first shipment of Mauritanian gas is set to be exported in mid-2023, considered in the country as a positive change after years of crisis. The discovery of a natural gas field on the maritime border between Mauritania and Senegal, and the involvement of the American company “Kosmos Energy” , was considered a turning point in the lives of millions of Mauritanians. The country, with a population of about 4.6 million people, one third of whom are poor, hopes that new gas discoveries will contribute to moving it off the list of the 25 poorest countries in the world, and securing a spot among the more prosperous African countries.

 While economic returns are expected from these gas discoveries, they place Mauritania at the center of competition between North African countries to secure their positions as gas-exporting countries, particularly to southern Europe. Mauritania’s strategic importance is also linked to its geographical location, as it serves to link the Maghreb with west Africa and enjoys a long coast on the Atlantic Ocean. 

Positive Leap

For more than five years, Mauritania has been working on a joint gas project with neighboring Senegal, known as the “Great Turtle Field Ahmaim”. The last stage, according to the announcement by Mauritanian Ministry of Energy at the beginning of June, was the completion of digging two out of four wells. Digging began on April 17^th, and the field contains twelve wells that will be developed to extract natural gas.

Mauritanian authorities are working to ramp up investment quickly in the energy sector, specifically gas, and to avoid any dispute that may arise as a result of the sensitivity of the situation between Nouakchott and Dakar, due to the presence of a gas field on their common border off the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. Relations between the two countries have, since the two countries gained independence in 1960. been marked by tensions due to differences over the borders regarding fisheries and immigration. The two countries had a military confrontation in 1989.

Fears of a dispute between the two countries was however averted, as both have signed a contract with the companies in charge of exploration and extraction, the American Kosmos Energy and the British BP, to share gas revenues, according to report by Khadija Al-Tayeb in The Independent Arabia newspaper on October 27^th. 

The Ahmaim field, with reserves of 450 billion cubic meters, is not the only field discovered on Mauritanian shores. There is also the Bir Allah field, located in the eighth segment of the Mauritanian coastal basin, which is not shared with Senegal. It is the largest gas field in Mauritanian waters, with reserves amounting to 80 trillion cubic feet of liquefied gas, representing 10% of African reserves, according to reports by the energy.net website on October 11^th.

 Mauritania is therefore set to enter the club of gas exporting countries, with its proven gas reserves estimated to be the third largest in Africa. The discovered gas reserves  (100 trillion cubic feet) are  preceded only by Nigeria (207 trillion cubic feet) and Algeria (159 trillion cubic feet). Mauritanian gas reserves exceed that of Libya (55 trillion cubic feet), and even Egypt (63 trillion cubic feet).

 The importance of Mauritanian gas discoveries is linked to the role it could play in compensating for the shortage caused, especially  for Europe, by the halting of supplies of Russian gas, especially since  gas production from the Turtle field, is expected to start in mid-2023. Europe is currently focusing on the  countries on the southern shores of the Mediterranean , such as Egypt, Libya, Algeria, and now Mauritania, as African alternatives to Russian gas, due to their geographic proximity.

Rising competition

  Mauritania’s entry into the energy sector and its export of gas to Europe will pave the way for major transformations. The race to win Nouakchott’s affection began by opening consulates and embassies, for example, Britain inaugurated its first embassy in Nouakchott in 2018, although the two countries established relationships in the 1960s.  British exploration companies are heavily involved in gas exploration in Mauritania. Nouakchott appear also keen to maintain its relationship with France, a European country with a colonial heritage and a strong presence in Mauritania and Senegal.

To the north, Morocco is also planning to launch the Nigerian gas pipeline project to Europe, which is to pass through fifteen African countries, including Mauritania. The pipeline will end in Morocco, where it will be linked to Kadesh, Spain, and from there proceed to other European countries.  This project falls in the cross hairs of the regional competition between Morocco and Algeria, which has recently suspended work on a gas pipeline to Spain via Morocco, due to political tensions between the two countries.

Algeria moreover announced work on a similar project with Nigeria, Niger, known as the Trans-Saharan Road. Algeria has also made overtures to Mauritania. The 19^th session of the joint committee between Algeria and Mauritania was held on September 15^th , after a six-year halt, during which 26 agreements and memoranda of understanding were signed. These included agreements to facilitate the movement of goods and travelers between the two countries, as well as energy cooperation.

 This regional competition  for closer ties with Mauritania, in addition to European interest sparked by the growing importance of its gas resources in view of the Ukraine war, and deteriorating relations with Russia,  positions Mauritania at the center of the new international strategic competition in the energy sector.

In sum, can be argued that Mauritania now stands at a crossroads as a result of the major natural gas discoveries, which could allow it to make a rapid developmental leap. The population is small, gas reserves are large, and investments have begun to flow into the country. Moreover, Mauritania enjoys political and security stability, as Mohamed Ould El Ghazouani’s handover of power went smoothly in 2019, and the country has not experienced a major terrorist attack in 12 years.Although Mauritania hopes that the gas discoveries will aide its removal from the list of the 25 poorest countries and enable its membership in the club of gas exporting countries, the newfound wealth could bring what is known as the “Resource Curse”, if the country does not put in place measures to properly manage the consequences, including navigating the complex landscape of regional and international competition for resources.