Gas order: Russia may start developing a large field in Mauritania

Russian operators may join the BirAllah gas project in Mauritania, the Russian Embassy told Izvestia. Its reserves are estimated at trillions of cubic meters, making it one of the largest in Africa. Local authorities will make a decision on the participation of foreign investors by the end of the year, and the start of production is scheduled for 2028. The development of energy cooperation will strengthen Russia's influence in Africa. About the new prospects of the Russian Federation on the continent in the oil and gas sector — in the material of Izvestia.

Why does Russia need the BirAllah gas project

Mauritania has significant hydrocarbon reserves, and the BirAllah gas field opens up new opportunities for cooperation. Russia may join the project as early as this year.

— The Mauritanian side is awaiting proposals from foreign companies for the implementation of the promising BirAllah gas project. It remains possible to involve Russian economic operators in the development of this field," the Russian Embassy in Mauritania told Izvestia. — Similarly, there are prospects for Russian companies to participate in the extraction of other types of minerals that the Moorish land is rich in, primarily iron, gold, copper, and uranium. There is a request to diversify our trade and economic ties and increase direct contacts between economic operators and business structures of the two countries.

The BirAllah offshore field was recognized as commercially viable only recently, in 2019. At the same time, the explored reserves are already estimated at 2.27 trillion cubic meters of gas, and the expected annual production will amount to 10 million tons of LNG. In the future, these resources can transform the energy sector of the entire region. With the start of its operation in 2028, Mauritania will become one of the largest gas exporters after Algeria, Nigeria and Egypt, as well as a key regional player in Africa.

By the way, Russia's recoverable gas reserves amount to 67 trillion cubic meters — according to various estimates, this will ensure the energy security of our country for the next 90 years.

The BirAllah field is located at a depth of 2.5 thousand meters. For its effective development, modern technological equipment is required, which Russia will be able to provide in the future, overtaking energy competitors from other countries.

On the other hand, it is investing in this project that can create an unnecessary competitor for the Russian Federation.

— The more gas is produced in the world, the lower the price will be. This will also damage our exports to both Asian markets and our remaining exports to the European market. Russia could make a profit if someone buys our equipment for the gas industry. Therefore, we are rather interested in developing gas consumption in Mauritania and neighboring countries in general," warns Igor Yushkov, a leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund and an expert at the Financial University under the Government of Russia.

But there are a number of restrictions here: Russia manufactures some of the equipment, imports some of it. And now, under the conditions of sanctions, foreign purchases are becoming more complicated, Yushkov emphasizes.

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Why didn't the British join the project

Initially, Mauritania negotiated with the British energy company British Petroleum (BP). It was she who had to study the conditions for the implementation of the BirAllah project. Mauritania has proposed using the port of Ndiago as a base for gas liquefaction, storage and export facilities, setting a deadline for making a final investment decision on the project by the second half of 2025. However, in the end, BP decided not to adhere to this schedule and asked for it to be extended for four years, ostensibly to conduct additional engineering research.

"The conditions for the extension have not been fulfilled, and the contract has expired," said Mohamed Ould Khaled, Minister of Energy and Petroleum of Mauritania.

Following BP's withdrawal from the BirAllah project, Mauritania began actively promoting the field to a global audience.

"We are currently intensifying our efforts to promote BirAllah by establishing contacts with world—class companies with the technical and financial capabilities to develop and conclude new contracts," said the Minister of Energy.

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What projects is Russia leading in Africa?

In the last couple of years, cooperation between Russia and Mauritania has accelerated. The first visit of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Nouakchott in February 2023 gave a new impetus. The Minister met with President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani and held talks with his counterpart Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug. In July 2024, the parties celebrated the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Mauritania supports initiatives promoted by Russia to strengthen cooperation with countries of the Global South and East. In October 2024, the President of the Republic, as Chairman of the African Union, took part in the BRICS+/Outreach summit in Kazan and met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. And in November, the delegation of Mauritania, led by the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, took part in the First Ministerial Conference of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum in Sochi. Ould Merzoug co-chaired the conference and held bilateral talks with Sergey Lavrov.

The Russian Federation is successfully developing cooperation with other African countries, including in the field of energy. Projects with Russian participation are being implemented mainly in Algeria, Angola, Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon, Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo and South Africa. Lukoil, Gazprom and Rosneft are among the key players in the existing oil and gas projects in Africa. For example, Gazprom is conducting exploration and development in Algeria, which has proven gas reserves of about 4.5 trillion cubic meters. Rosneft is involved in a project at one of the largest gas fields in Egypt with gas reserves of about 2.4 trillion cubic meters, and Lukoil is actively working on the shelves of the Gulf of Guinea: in Ghana, Cameroon and Nigeria, as well as in the Republic of the Congo, where only 0.12 trillion cubic meters of gas have been explored. Increasing its presence in Africa, including through Mauritania, will allow Russia to realize its geopolitical interests, despite Western sanctions.

— First of all, we are finding a new direction for exporting our technologies and competencies, and it is always good to sell. We can also create a springboard for further expansion of influence in the African region. According to experts, the economies there will grow many times, and the energy intensity of all processes, including technological ones, will increase. Africa as a sphere of influence is a very promising area, and by participating in this project we will increase our presence in the entire region," Pavel Marishev, an expert in the oil and gas industry, sustainable development and energy, told Izvestia.

The continent's opportunities for the construction of new oil and gas pipelines, oil and gas processing facilities, including LNG production, are being actively explored. There are prospects: for example, in 2024, Africa was the largest supplier of crude oil to Europe with a volume of about 2.6 million barrels per day, OPEC said. According to the organization's forecast, Africa will remain the largest oil exporter to Europe until 2050, if Russian raw materials do not return to the EU market.