BP Encounters Gas Bubbles at Senegal-Mauritania GTA Project

GTA Project (Credit: Kosmos Energy)

BP said on Wednesday it had detected low-rate subsea gas bubbles at a well in its Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) project, situated offshore between Mauritania and Senegal.

The British multinational oil and gas firm anticipates the environmental impact from the leak to be negligible and added that the incident will not disrupt production activities.

"We have a plan to stop the bubbles, as part of that plan we have mobilised specialised equipment and personnel to support the rectification efforts," the company told Reuters via email.

The project developed by BP and U.S.-listed Kosmos Energy produced its first gas at the start of the year.

GTA, a floating facility straddling the maritime border between the two countries, are expected to produce 2.3 million metric tons of liquefied natural gas per year in its first phase.

(Reuters - Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian, Editing by Bate Felix and Louise Heavens)